The plenary hall of the House of Representatives (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN)

Two House leaders have guaranteed the lower chamber's compliance with the Supreme Court's (SC) request for a copy of the enrolled bill containing the 2025 national budget and a copy of this year's signed budget itself as the High Court prepares to hold oral arguments to settle the controversy surrounding the measure.

Assistant Majority Leaders Jude Acidre and Jil Bongalon says the House of Representatives will do so because they are confident there is nothing irregular with the two copies of the bill.

They said there will not be any blank spaces in any of those copies, contrary to claims made by those who questioned the budget enactment process.

"We are confident that even if we submit or send the original copies of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2025, including the encoded bill to the Supreme Court, nothing in those documents, we can see any blank items, especially the amounts that are being questioned," Bongalon of Ako Bicol Party-list said.

"Mas maganda rin ito para makita din ng justices ng Korte Suprema na sila mismo makapagsabi na wala hong blangko dyan as alleged by the petitioners in that particular case na sinasabi na parang blangkong tseke na pipilapan na lang (It is actually better so our Supreme Court justices will be able to see and attest that there's no blank spaces as alleged by the petitioners, who said that blank spaces are like checks to be filled out)," he added.

Acidre of Tingog Party-list said he is standing by the regularity of the 2025 GAA (General Appropriations Act) "as it is above board".

"In fact, we welcome this initiative on the part of the [SC] to really require the copy of the enrolled bill," he said.

In one of the meetings of the House Committee on Appropriations, Bongalon recalled that some journalists asked to see a copy of the enrolled bill to check if it contained blank spaces intended for appropriations.

"So pinakita namin (So we showed it) together with the committee secretary that this is the copy of the enrolled bill. And that in the enrolled bill, wala silang nakitang blangko (they didn't see any blanks). With more reason, doon po sa General Appropriations Act of 2025 na pinirmahan ng ating Pangulo, wala rin po mismong blangko doon (even in the General Appropriations Act of 2025 that was signed by the President, there was no blank spaces). That is why we are confident that the budget for 2025 is valid, lawful and binding," he said.

Asked if the enrolled bill contained any signatures, Bongalon said, “Wala ho. Kasi ‘yun yung, kumbaga, final copy before we transmit it to the Office of the President for his review, for his action.”
 
Amid complaints that some could not obtain a copy of the bill, Bongalon said anyone can actually but formally request for the copy of the budget because it is open to the public.

“It has to follow the rules. They have to make it official if someone requests for it," he said.