Acting House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Stella Quimbo
Acting House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Stella Quimbo confirmed on Monday that there were blank items in the bicameral report on the P6.325 trillion national budget for 2025. However, she clarified that the funding for these items had already been identified before the report was signed.
In an interview with “24 Oras,” Quimbo acknowledged the blanks but emphasized that the technical staff from both the House and Senate were authorized to make corrections, including typographical errors and adjustments. She assured that the funding was decided before the signing and that the corrections made were technical, without discretion.
The omnibus motion in the bicam report authorized the technical staff to fix errors and adjust sections resulting from amendments. In case of discrepancies between the bicameral report and the printed version, the latter prevails.
Quimbo also clarified that the enrolled bill, signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is complete and contains no blanks. “It is legal, fully enforceable, and valid,” she said.
In response to criticisms, Quimbo called the suggestions of impropriety politically motivated. “Any concerns are unfounded and appear politically driven,” she stated.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin also confirmed that there were no blank items in the enrolled bill and directed budget inquiries to Congress.
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