New House appropriations chairperson Mikaela Suansing promises to do away with so-called small committees, which were flagged as ways to railroad the national budgeting process.
Full story: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/house-remove-small-committee-tiangco-red-flags-budget-process/
00:01New House Appropriations Chairperson Michaela Swan Singh promises to do away with so-called small committees, which were flagged as ways to railroad the national budgeting process.
00:11In past budget seasons, the House formed small committees to handle amendments to the spending bill after it passed the plenary.
00:18This has led to changes in the House version of the budget bill that were not immediately opened or reported to the public.
00:24Swan Singh says Monday, August 4, instead of an independent small committee, a subcommittee of her own committee will oversee amendments proposed by government agencies and other lawmakers.
00:34She says the deliberations will be open to the public.
00:37Swan Singh's statement comes after Navotas City Representative Toby Tianko red-flagged the lack of transparency in that phase of the budget process.
00:45Tianko said last week, small committees in the past did not keep minutes of their meetings.
00:51House Speaker Martin Romualdez earlier promised to open the bicameral conference committee proceedings to the general public
00:57and to allow civil society organizations to observe all stages of the budget process.
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