MARIING itinanggi ng Kamara de Representantes ang mga paratang na si Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez ang kumokontrol sa pondo ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno at iginiit na walang basehan ang mga alegasyon.

“The Office of the Speaker firmly denies the baseless accusation that it exercises post-appropriation control over programs such as AICS, AKAP, TUPAD, and MAIP,” ani House spokesperson Atty. Princess Abante sa isang pahayag.

“These programs are implemented solely by executive agencies such as the DSWD, DOLE, and DOH. These agencies retain full authority over the approval, funding, and implementation of their respective programs, in accordance with law and internal procedures,” dagdag pa niya.

Ipinaliwanag ni Abante na gaya ng ibang tanggapan ng Kongreso, maaaring maglabas ng referral ang Office of the Speaker bilang tugon sa mga kahilingan ng mga mamamayan, ngunit iginiit niyang ito ay rekomendasyon lamang at daraan sa proseso ng mga ahensya upang matiyak kung tama ang gagawing paggastos.

“Like all congressional offices, the Office of the Speaker may issue endorsements or referrals in response to constituent requests from lawmakers or local leaders. These are strictly facilitative and do not guarantee or influence approval,” aniya.

“Final decisions rest entirely with the implementing agencies, which assess each request based on program guidelines, fund availability, and internal controls,” pagpapatuloy niya.

Binigyang-diin din ni Abante na ganap na sumusunod ang Kamara sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema sa kasong Belgica v. Executive Secretary, na nagdeklara na labag sa Konstitusyon ang pakikialam ng mga mambabatas sa paggamit ng pondo matapos maipasa ng Kongreso ang badyet.

“To allege otherwise is to misrepresent the law and institutional practice. The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Belgica v. Executive Secretary (PDAF case) prohibits legislators from exercising post-enactment discretion over public funds. The House of Representatives, under Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, fully upholds this principle,” ani Abante.

Tungkol naman sa isyu ng small committee na ginagamit sa proseso ng pambansang badyet, nilinaw ni Abante na hindi ito isang lihim o iregular na gawain, kundi isang matagal nang ginagamit na parliamentary mechanism.

“This mechanism is a longstanding parliamentary practice that allows the efficient consolidation of individual amendments after plenary debates,” aniya.

“It has been used across many Congresses, including those in which Congressman Toby Tiangco held leadership roles and never objected to its use,” dagdag pa niya.

Sinabi rin ni Abante na ang trabaho ng komite ay transparent at nasa ilalim ng awtoridad ng buong Kamara.

“The small committee does not override or replace the plenary. Its outputs are reported and become part of the final General Appropriations Bill. To characterize it as a ‘secret meeting’ is misleading and undermines the institutional memory and processes of the House,” paliwanag niya.

Binigyang-diin pa niya na ang sinomang mambabatas na nais baguhin ang patakaran ay malayang maghain ng panukala sa plenaryo.

“Nonetheless, if Congressman Tiangco believes the rules must be changed, he is free and encouraged to raise the matter formally before the plenary,” aniya.

“The Speaker will respect the decision of the majority. If the House decides, through its rules and votes, to revise the budget process or abolish the small committee, then so be it. That is the democratic process in action,” dagdag ni Abante.

Ayon pa kay Abante, hindi lamang bukas si Speaker Romualdez sa reporma—siya mismo ang nangunguna rito.

“Among the budget reforms he is actively championing are opening the bicameral conference committee to public scrutiny, allowing civil society participation as independent watchdogs in deliberations, eliminating inefficiencies and duplication in fund releases, and strengthening congressional oversight while respecting the constitutional separation of powers,” sabi niya.

“These reforms will be outlined in full in his address to the plenary,” dagdag pa niya.

Nanawagan din si Abante sa mga kapwa mambabatas at sa publiko na huwag magpadala sa mga political theatrics.

“Let us not allow political theatrics to distract from the real work at hand—ensuring that every peso in the national budget is spent transparently, efficiently, and in service of the Filipino people.

This is the mandate of the House, and this is the commitment of Speaker Romualdez,” pagtatapos niya.