Palace assures clergy: No graft, patronage in budget releases
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has assured the Catholic clergy that the disbursement of the 2025 national budget would be insulated from corruption and patronage politics.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin was reacting to Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David’s criticism of the P6.326-trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA).
In a pastoral letter issued on Sunday, David called out the “scandalous misuse of public funds and resources; the questionable insertions, cuts and adjustments in the national budget.”
In a statement, Bersamin said stricter conditionalities would be enforced for budget releases, “ensuring alignment with national priorities and protection from partisan interests.”
“Having undergone adjustments permitted by law, the funds will be released transparently and in accordance with good governance principles and laws,” he said.
According to Bersamin, Marcos has directly vetoed the largest amount of appropriations in history.
“No president before him had ever so deeply and comprehensively purged the budget of unnecessary items,” he said.
“He later directed, within the powers vested in him, the rechanneling of billions in funds to projects and programs that create social good, spur progress and serve the welfare of the people,” the executive secretary said.
“All of this stems from the recognition that financing the budget is shouldered by the people; therefore, its implementation must honor the sacrifices they have made,” he said.
Caritas Philippines executive director Fr. Tito Caluag also called on the faithful on Sunday to reject this year’s national budget.
“It is high time that our national budget must transition from an ayuda-driven budget, into working towards programs that really empower people,” Caluag said in a homily during an online mass on Sunday.
On Thursday, Marcos said groups challenging the constitutionality of the 2025 budget before the Supreme Court are out to shut down the government so they could carry out their “destabilization” agenda.
Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab and Marcos’ former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez filed a petition before the SC to declare the