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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Imee Marcos urges Senate to revise bicam procedures in 2025 GAB to ensure transparency

Imee Marcos urges Senate to revise bicam procedures in 2025 GAB to ensure transparency

Published Nov 25, 2024 07:19 am

Senator Imee Marcos has formally asked Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero to fine-tune the procedures in the upcoming bicameral conference committee (bicam) meeting on the 2025 national budget.

In her letter to Escudero, which she coursed through Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Marcos proposed the following:

  • All vice-chairpersons of the sub-committee on Finance be elected as member of the Bicameral Committee to participate in the discussion of the proposed amendments;
  • (that) there should be discussion/coordination with counterpart members of the House of Representatives (HOR) prior to actual committee meetings (pre-bicam meetings);
  • (that) the Committee on Finance to inform/discuss with the vice-chairpersons the proposed amendments to the budgets of departments/agencies under their coverage;
  • to the extent that such discussion is practicable, all major Bicam amendments to the GAB (General Appropriations Bill) shall be discussed openly among the members.

“It is critical that we adopt a collaborative and transparent approach in crafting the General Appropriations Bill (GAB). This isn’t just about numbers, it’s about shaping the future of our country. All stakeholders must have the opportunity to weigh in on significant amendments to ensure we address the real needs of the Filipino people,” Marcos said.

The senator said it is important to ensure collaboration and transparency in finalizing the national budget.

She further reaffirmed her commitment to fiscal responsibility and urged her colleagues to prioritize openness and dialogue in the upcoming deliberations.

"It's about time to change the bicam process. There should be transparency for the P6.532 trillion budget for 2025, and we must avoid at all costs, last-minute insertions, and unpleasant surprises in our nation's budget," she added.

It was in October 2024 when the senator said that she would write a "love letter" to Escudero to avoid a repeat of the so-called insertion of a P12-billion in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) budget, as well as the P26-billion for the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program or AKAP under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), during the bicam.

The P12-billion inserted in the Comelec's budget was a last-minute addition to the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and was supposedly earmarked for plebiscites and referendums.

The AKAP was spelled out in the 2024 GAA as a line item.

Marcos also stressed that the bicameral conference committee meeting should not just be a mere "picture-taking" of the officials involved.

Related Tags

2025 national budget Senator Grace Poe Senator Imee Marcos General Appropriations Bill Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero
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