Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian questioned Monday why President Bongbong Marcos would veto certain 2025 budget insertions that ex-congressman Zaldy Co claimed the President requested.
In a series of videos, Co alleged that Marcos asked for P100 billion worth of projects in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
Gatchalian, however, explained that it is standard practice for the President to allocate funds for priority projects through the National Expenditure Program, which is submitted at the start of the budget process.
“Pag sa dulo, nasisira ang buong budget lalo na kung malaki ang amount,” he said, noting that allocating P100 billion at the end could disrupt the entire budget.
The senator also questioned Co’s claim regarding small allocations for secondary roads in Valenzuela and highlighted that some projects on Co’s list were later vetoed by the President.
“Doon sa listahan ni Zaldy, ilan doon na-veto nang Pangulo. Nagtataka ako, kung nag-insert siya, bakit naman ivi-veto rin ‘yung in-insert niya?” Gatchalian said.
“Medyo maraming nakakapagtaka sa statements ni Zaldy Co. Maraming hindi tumutugma sa normal process,” he added.
Gatchalian emphasized that budget insertions and amendments are part of Congress’s regular work but warned that insertions can carry negative connotations when projects are pre-promised to contractors.
“Aminado tayo, inabuso talaga,” he said, noting that the Senate panel has agreed to no longer allow insertions during bicameral conference, as new projects are not discussed in regular sessions.
The senator stressed that the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon investigation into the flood control scandal underscores the need for accountability after millions of pesos in government funds were allegedly misused.
