For Senator Imee Marcos, President Marcos' veto powers are not enough to resolve the deep problems entrenched in the "very bad" P6.352-trillion 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
"Di sapat ang line item veto kasi malalim at matindi ang problema ng very bad budget na ito (The line item veto is not enough because the issues with this very bad budget are deep and severe)," Marcos said during the Kapihan sa Senado media forum on Thursday, Dec. 19.
Marcos has earlier called on her brother, President Marcos, to scrutinize the proposed budget before signing it amid the budget cuts to various government agencies in the final version of the GAB, mainly the 2025 budgets of the Department of Health (DOH), which decreased by P25.80 billion, and the Department of Education (DepEd), which decreased by P11.57 billion.
She also made the appeal amid the retention of the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), which has been allocated P26 billion under the proposed 2025 national budget and the zero-subsidy budget of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
"Ako ay nangangamba at kinakabahan na baka di tama ang payo sa aking kapatid once the bill has been endorsed to him. All he can do is veto line by line the budget (I am worried and anxious that the advice given to my brother might not be right once the bill is passed on to him. All he can do is veto the budget line by line)," she said.
Marcos hopes, however, that things will be resolved without needing to be questioned before the Supreme Court (SC).
She explained that the Bicameral Conference Committee would not take a month to tackle the controversial items since the National Expenditure Program (NEP) would be the basis for them. If it's not resolved by January, the senator sees a reenacted budget scenario.
Marcos has also been critical of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget, which ballooned to P1.1 trillion yet has a zero budget for flood control.
In an earlier statement, she assured the public that she did not sign any paper regarding the 2025 budget even the Bicameral Conference Committee report which for her, pushes for the budget cuts for legitimate projects for the sake of AKAP, which she has already opposed.
Marcos asked his brother to focus on the budget and "remind that the interference of lawmakers in certain departments and branches of government is against the law and the conscience of the people."
"Ayaw kitang mapahamak, ayaw kong mabigo ang pamamahala mo. Mag-ingat tayo sa mga pinagkakatiwalaan, at pakinggan ang boses ng taumbayan para sa kapakanan ng mas nakararami at nangangailangan (I don’t want you to be harmed, and I don’t want your leadership to fail. Let’s be careful with those we trust, and listen to the voice of the people for the benefit of the majority and those in need)," she added.