Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco urged Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante Jr. to stop spreading fake news in his attempt to defend the small committee that mangled the 2025 national budget.
“Nakakalungkot na kailangan pang magpakalat ng fake news si Cong. Abante para lang ipagtanggol ang small committee na tumalakay sa 2025 HGAB na pinamunuan ni Cong Zaldy Co,” Tiangco said.
Tiangco reminded Abante to be more circumspect in issuing statements, correcting the latter’s claim that he had only recently raised issues on the budget process recently.
“Madali naman mag-research. For the record, I questioned the budget process in 2012, 2014, and 2015. After that, napagod na ako and admittedly hindi na ako nag-question kasi tulad ngayon, independent din ako noon at maa-outvote lang ako,” Tiangco explained.
The 2025 GAA has been described as the worst budget in history. Amendments were made twice: first, by the small committee composed of only four members of the House of Representatives, and second, by the bicam composed of contingents from both the House and the Senate.
While the bicam has a signed report, the small committee has yet to furnish one. According to Tiangco, this means either “no report exists or it is being deliberately withheld and at this point, only Cong. Zaldy Co can answer this.”
“Nagkaroon lang ulit ako ng pag-asa after the President’s SONA kaya muli kong binuhay ang isyung ito, dahil Presidente na mismo ang may gustong ayusin ang proseso ng budget. Nagtataka lang ako bakit tila takot na takot sila kapag ang small committee report ang pinag-uusapan,” he added.
Tiangco also urged Abante to heed his own advice and correct the falsehoods he spread.
“Naalala ko kung paano niya pagalitan yung mga vloggers dahil sa pagkakalat ng fake news. Sana siya rin maging maingat at huwag magpakalat ng mga bagay na walang katotohanan,” he said.
The Navotas lawmaker likewise chided Abante for calling his request for the small committee report “unfair.”
“Ang pagtanong tungkol sa pera ng taumbayan ay hindi pwedeng maging unfair. Ang unfair ay kung ayaw sagutin o ayaw ilabas ang report o aminin nalang na walang report talaga,” Tiangco said.
“The abolition of the small committee is already an admission na mali talaga iyon. Hindi naman siguro unfair magtanong kung saan napunta ang budget ng bayan. The 2025 budget has been described by many as ‘the most corrupt budget.’ Kailangan alamin sino ang dapat managot dito. Ang totoong unfair ay hindi napakinabangan ng taumbayan ang serbisyong dapat sana ay para sa kanila,” he added.
Tiangco stressed that budget insertions are first made in the small committee even before reaching the bicam.
He reiterated his call to the House leadership to compel then-Committee on Appropriations chair Rep. Zaldy Co to release the report of last year’s small committee.
“‘Wag natin i-divert yung issue. Wala talagang report. But how can a committee not have a report when, based on Section 39 of the House Rules, all committees must have reports? So dapat ipatawag ng leadership si Cong. Zaldy Co dahil imposible na hindi niya alam ang mga insertions na ginawa ng small committee,” Tiangco said.
He also cited the corruption allegations previously raised by other officials.
“Sen. Ping Lacson in his expose said that the project proponent gets a 20–25% cut. Meanwhile, Mayor Magalong claimed that the Committee on Appropriations gets a 25% cut. Kung gusto talaga natin ng transparency at imbestigahan ang corruption, we must start with the small committee. Doon malalaman kung sino ang mga proponent ng insertions,” he added.(Roger Panizal)
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