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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DSWD budget hearing finishes quickly; House cites 'parliamentary courtesy'

DSWD budget hearing finishes quickly; House cites 'parliamentary courtesy'

Published Aug 17, 2023 08:39 am

At A Glance

  • The budget hearing of the Department of the Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was terminated faster than usual on Thursday, Aug. 17 due to a case of "parliamentary courtesy". 

Screenshot_20230817-140728_YouTube.jpg

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian (Screenshot from YouTube live)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The budget hearing of the Department of the Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was terminated faster than usual on Thursday, Aug. 17 due to a case of "parliamentary courtesy". 

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian led the presentation of the agency’s P209.9-billion proposed budget under the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) before the House Committee on Appropriations. 

Following the presentation, House Deputy Speaker and Davao City 3rd district Rep. Isidro Ungab highlighted that Gatchalian was their former colleague in the chamber. 

"We usuallly afford special courtesy here for former members of the House. Sec. Rex is a member of this congress, 19th Congress, and my colleague in the 14th, 15th, [and] 16th Congress," Ungab said. 

Ungab said this parliamentary courtesy involves forgoing the interpellation or question and answer phase of the budget hearing. "We usually allow that." 

"I was just raising this because this has been a long-standing practice, a long-standing tradition in the House of Representatives. But that doesn't of course exclude members who wish to make a manifestation," the Davao solon later explained. 

Gatchalian vacated his seat as Valenzuela City 1st district congressman in early February to join the Marcos Cabinet. 

In the end, the DSWD budget hearing lasted just over two hours--a fraction of its usual run time during the tedious appropriations panel hearings on the annual NEP. Traditionally, solons place a lot of interest in the DSWD and ask a lot of questions to its officials in the budget hearings. 

But the DSWD hearing wasn't totally without interpellations; at least four members of the minority bloc--OFW Party-list Rep. Marissa Magsino, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel--were still allowed to ask questions. 

This wasn't out of the ordinary either as the appropriations panel also gives preferential treatment to the minority during budget hearings. 

As for the majority members, some of them merely gave short congratulatory remarks to Gatchalian, who, they said has been doing a great job as DSWD chief. 

Camiguin lone district Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo then moved to terminate or conclude the budget hearing of the DSWD and its attached agencies, excluding the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). The motion was carried. 

Appropriations panel vice chairman, Ilocos Sur 1st district Rep. Ronald Singsong would later explain that this parliamentary courtesy only applies to ex-House colleagues who are first-time presenters in the House budget hearings.

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Rex Gatchalian DSWD
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