Marcos on 2025 budget: 'I cannot find those damned blank items'

Marcos on the signed 2025 budget: ‘I cannot find those damned blank items’

By: - Reporter / @luisacabatoINQ
/ 01:39 PM January 30, 2025

Bill postponing BARMM elections certified as urgent

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. —MALACAÑANG PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — “I cannot find those damned blank items.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made this remark on Thursday as he reiterated that there are no missing items in the signed 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Article continues after this advertisement

Speaking at the 20th National Convention of Lawyers in Cebu City, Marcos mentioned that he had read all 4,057 pages of the GAA last December before signing it.

FEATURED STORIES

Marcos on the signed 2025 budget: ‘I cannot find those damned blank items’ | INQToday

READ: Bersamin: Too soon to comment on petition filed vs 2025 GAA

Article continues after this advertisement

“Because I reviewed it, analyzed it, and yes—in parts, vetoed it. And so, for those of you, and up to now, I cannot find those damned blank items,” he said.

Article continues after this advertisement

“We’ll keep looking. We’ll keep looking. But I don’t—I really—I’m convinced that they simply do not exist because it is not allowed to exist,” he continued.

Article continues after this advertisement

The national budget for 2025 has been hounded by controversy in the past few weeks after Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab revealed in a televised interview that there were blank items in the bicameral conference committee report.

This stirred scrutiny and confusion as some quarters asked how the GAA was signed if missing items were in the bicam report.

Article continues after this advertisement

Marcos, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and the Department of Budget and Management have all issued separate statements refuting the allegations.

But last January 28, Ungab, former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez, and some other persons filed a petition at the Supreme Court to challenge the constitutionality of the 2025 national budget.

They pointed to the existence of alleged blank items in the bicam report as the reason why they went to the high tribunal.

READ: Quimbo: Blanks in 2025 budget only for final computation

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

In an ambush interview last January 27, Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo clarified that the blanks in the bicam report were only for the final computation of the amendments.

The lawmaker reiterated that the GAA was legal, as the allocations on the then-proposed budget had already been decided by the bicam before the House of Representatives and the Senate ratified the report.

TAGS: 2025 budget, Marcos

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2025 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.