PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. Marcos Jr. on Monday dismissed as “lies” the claims of former president Rodrigo Duterte that there were "blank checks" in the proposed 2025 national budget.
In a media interview in Taguig City, Marcos refuted Duterte’s allegations that the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2025 includes blank items without specified projects or funding details.
"He’s lying. He’s a President. He knows that you cannot pass a GAA with a blank. He’s lying because he knows perfectly well that that doesn’t ever happen,” Marcos told reporters on the sidelines of the Tesla Center Philippines launch at Bonifacio Global City.
“Sa buong, sa kasaysayan ng buong Pilipinas, hindi pinapayagan na magkaroon ng item ang GAA na hindi nakalagay kung ano 'yung project, at saka ano 'yung, 'yung gastos, ano 'yung pondo (In the history of the Philippines, the GAA is not allowed to have an item that does not state what the project is, and then what it is, the cost),” he added.
The President emphasized that the budget is meticulously reviewed and every item is clearly defined.
Marcos also encouraged the public to see for themselves the signed 2025 budget posted in the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) website.
“Tignan nyo kung meron kahit isa. Para mapatunayan na tama ang sinasabing kasinungalingan 'yan (See if there is even one. To prove that it is a lie)," Marcos said.
In podcast video posted on the YouTube Channel of Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, the former president and Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab claimed that at least 13 pages of the budget include items with blank appropriations, suggesting a "blank check" scheme for future allocations.
Malacañang vehemently denied the allegations and said that the 2025 budget, spanning 4,057 pages across two volumes, underwent a thorough review by Congress and DBM professionals. (Darryl John Esguerra)
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