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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Co, Lagman in tit-for-tat on unprogrammed funds brouhaha

Co, Lagman in tit-for-tat on unprogrammed funds brouhaha

Published Jan 17, 2024 11:06 am

At A Glance

  • Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co has fired back at Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman for questioning before the Supreme Court (SC) the additional P449.5-billion unprogrammed funds in the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
  • On Tuesday, Jan. 16, Lagman led the filing of a petition that questioned the legality of the bicameral panel's decision to increase the 2024 budget's unprogrammed funds allocation from P281.9 billion to P449.5 billion.

20240117_185844.jpgAko Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (left), Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman (Screenshots from Zoom)

Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co has fired back at Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman for questioning before the Supreme Court (SC) the additional P449.5-billion unprogrammed funds in the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

In a statement Wednesday, Jan. 17, Co--the current chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations--highlighted that Lagman didn't oppose such unprogrammed funds in past years of legislating the national budget.

“When he was a member of the Bicameral Conference Committee in 2023 he also approved unprogrammed funds of the same amount as 2024,” Co said of the Liberal Party (LP) president.

"Was it because he was recently excluded from the bicameral committee that he now claims unprogrammed funds are illegal?" asked the second-termer.

Co noted that Lagman was also a former appropriations panel chairman and a member of the panel for almost 15 years. "And yet not once has he ever complained about unprogrammed appropriations. Why complain now?"

"Perhaps the gentleman from the first district of Albay is becoming more forgetful," Co asked in an obvious jab at his fellow Bicolano.

The final touches to the proposed national budget for any given year are done by House members and senators during the Bicameral Conference Committee meetings.

Also on Wednesday, Lagman responded to Co's statements and called the latter out for his "personal attacks".

"I have not forgotten that the practice of increasing the unprogrammed appropriations was the then-prevailing errant interpretation and practice wherein the prohibition on increasing the President’s budget proposal was limited to the programmed appropriations," he said.

"I have not forgotten to categorically mention this incorrect interpretation and practice in the petition," noted the self-styled independent minority congressman.

On Tuesday, Jan. 16, Lagman led the filing of a petition that questioned the legality of the bicameral panel's decision to increase the 2024 budget's unprogrammed funds allocation from P281.9 billion to P449.5 billion.

Related Tags

unprogrammed funds Ako Bicol party-list bicameral conference committee Edcel Lagman zaldy co
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