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Ex-president peddling lies – PBBM

20 January 2025

Former president Rodrigo Duterte lied about what he called missing budget amounts and discrepancies in the newly approved PhP 6.326-trillion national budget, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Monday.

“He’s lying. He’s a president. He knows that you cannot pass a GAA with a blank… He’s lying,” President Marcos said when asked for his reaction to Duterte’s accusation.

“And he’s lying because he knows perfectly well that that doesn’t ever happen,” the President said.

“Sa buong kasaysayan ng buong Pilipinas, hindi pinapayagan na magkaroon ng item ang GAA ng hindi nakalagay kung ano ‘yung project at saka ano ‘yung gastos, ano ‘yung pondo. So, it’s a lie,” he added.

Duterte and Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab have raised discrepancies in the bicameral conference committee report on the recently approved 2025 national budget.

According to Ungab, there were missing budget amounts for items under the Department of Agriculture (DA) and unprogrammed appropriations. The House and the Senate ratified a defective bicam report, he said.

Duterte argued the 2025 GAA is an invalid legislation that couldn’t be implemented.

But the President said a copy of those items is available on the DBM website. Anybody can check to determine whether there are blank parts, he added.

“Mayroon namang kopya that’s available on the website of DBM. Tingnan ninyo, huwag na ninyong busisiin isa-isa, hanapin niyo ‘yung sinasabi nila na blank check,:” the President said.

“Tingnan niyo kung mayroong kahit isa para mapatunayan na tama ang sinasabi ko [na] kasinungalingan ‘yan, ” he added. | PND