00:00Senators are surprised that the 2025 national budget has blank pages.
00:05The senators are determined not to pass the BICAM if the budget has a blank item.
00:11Daniel Manalastas of PTV with the national news.
00:18After the allocation of a blank item in the 2025 national budget,
00:22particularly in the Bicameral Conference Committee Report,
00:26some senators were surprised when asked by Senate President Pro Tempore Gingo Estrada
00:31if the BICAM has a blank item.
00:34When did you sign?
00:37Did you notice anything?
00:38I didn't notice anything.
00:39Can it happen?
00:40No, sir.
00:43According to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian,
00:45the contents of the budget and even the chairperson are being reviewed before it is passed.
00:50The senator also argued that the BICAM will pass if the items are blank.
00:54If it's blank, it won't balance.
00:57The budget needs to be balanced.
00:59For example, the House amendments, the Senate amendments,
01:05and of course, the final product in GB.
01:07As far as I know, the chairperson can't sign a blank item.
01:12For Senator Joel Villanueva, who is also a member of the BICAM Committee,
01:17he didn't see a blank item, but he also didn't close his notes.
01:21I've never heard of any blank BICAM report.
01:25First, I've never heard of anything like that.
01:27And number two, it's kind of weird every time I hear people talking about
01:33the constitutionality of such committee report
01:37because when you question the constitutionality of a measure,
01:43it's the law itself.
01:45Senator JV Ejercito said he didn't see a blank BICAM report.
01:50The senator also didn't see a family member sign it,
01:53and he also didn't remember signing a blank BICAM report.
01:56From PDV Manila, Daniel Manalastas, Balitang Pambansa.
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