Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros rejected claims that the 2025 national budget contained blank entries, even as she and Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel voted against the bicameral conference committee report last December.
Hontiveros explained in an interview on Unang Balita that their opposition stemmed from the zero subsidy for PhilHealth and budget cuts for the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
“Pero naman, hindi ako makapaniwala na kahit aling Kongreso natin… ay magpapasa ng isang panukalang batas o General Appropriations Act na may blanko pa na linya,” Hontiveros stated, emphasizing her belief that no Congress would approve a budget with empty allocations.
The senator’s remarks came after former President Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab raised concerns about discrepancies in the approved budget, including alleged blank items under the Department of Agriculture and unprogrammed appropriations.
Duterte warned that tampering with the budget could lead to criminal prosecution, while Ungab criticized the alleged blanks as more than mere typographical errors.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. dismissed these claims as “lies,” asserting that it is impossible for a General Appropriations Act to include blank entries. He stated, “Sa buong kasaysayan ng buong Pilipinas, hindi pinapayagan na magkaroon ng item ang GAA ng hindi nakalagay kung ano ‘yung project at saka ano ‘yung gastos.”
Malacañang also rejected the allegations, with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin noting that the entire P6.326-trillion budget had undergone thorough review by professionals in Congress and the Department of Budget and Management.
Several senators, including Jinggoy Estrada, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Joel Villanueva, also denied the existence of blank entries in the bicam report.
