President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. strongly refuted former President Rodrigo Duterte’s claims that there were blank provisions in the national budget, calling the allegations false and misleading.
Speaking at a press conference in Taguig, Marcos did not hold back in his response to Duterte, who had raised concerns about the General Appropriations Act (GAA) alongside Davao Third District Rep. Isidro Ungab.
“He’s lying. He’s a former president. He knows you can’t pass a GAA with blank [provisions]. He’s lying,” Marcos said.
The president emphasized that it was impossible for any budget item to be approved without clear details about the projects and their funding.
“In the history of the Philippines, the GAA has never allowed an item without specifying the project, the costs, and the funds. It’s a lie,” Marcos stated.
He also encouraged the public to verify these claims by checking the documents with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“Look, don’t scrutinize it one by one. Just find the so-called blank checks they’re talking about. See if there’s even one. That’s how you can prove that what I’m saying is the truth,” Marcos said.
In a video shared on Duterte’s official Facebook page, Rep. Ungab pointed out that certain sections of the budget, particularly those related to the Department of Agriculture (DA) and unprogrammed appropriations, were missing figures, with estimates possibly reaching billions of pesos.
Duterte, in his remarks, criticized the supposed omissions, calling the bicameral conference committee report incomplete and invalid. “It’s not just inaccurate, I think the entire budget is invalid. You can’t leave blank spaces like that with the people’s money,” Duterte stated.
