00:00Senate President Francis Escudero says no issue even if the 2025 General Appropriations Act has been formally challenged before the Supreme Court.
00:10According to Escudero, this should not be a cause for concern as it is simply part of the democratic process.
00:16For me, this is an opportunity for the Supreme Court, the third branch of the government, to be involved in the process of the budget.
00:24We have seen the role played by the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and now we will see the role played by the Judicial Branch.
00:32House Speaker Martin Waldes, for his part, refused to comment on the issue, saying he will study the petition first.
00:39But House Committee on Appropriations Acting Chair Stella Kimbo reiterated,
00:44They are free to do that, but we stand by our position that the 2025 GAA is lawful, valid, and fully enforceable.
00:58The explanation is simple, the Enrolled Bill, in short, the Congress submitted the General Appropriations Bill is complete, and that became the basis of the 2025 GAA.
01:17In a statement, House Deputy Majority Leader Paulo Ortega said this is more than just a legal maneuver,
01:23but allegedly a calculated political gambit aiming to destabilize the administration.
01:29For other lawmakers, this are what they had to say.
01:32That's within their right. Anybody can, this is a free country, they can question anything under the sun.
01:37I don't see any unconstitutional provisions in the GAA.
01:41When it comes to the budget, we really need to be transparent from the committee level to the bicameral conference committee.
01:52That's why we told our fellow countrymen, this should be transparent and seen by the people so that there is no doubt.
01:59Mela Las Moras from the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.
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