Latest news with #Senado
GMA Network
20 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Escudero denies alleged insertions in 2025 budget
Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero on Tuesday denied claims that there are billions of pesos worth of insertions in the 2025 national budget. At a press conference, Escudero called the reports a 'demolition job' in connection to his earlier bid to retain his Senate presidency post. 'Sabi nilang noong una P9 billion daw 'yung sa Sorsogon, P12 billion daw 'yung Bulacan. Sunod sinabi na P142 billion, sunod binura nila 'yun, ginawang P150 billion. Alin ba talaga ang sasagutin ko roon? Pangalawa, noong una ang sinabi ako lang, sunod sinama si Senator Villanueva, sunod buong Senado na raw 'yun,' he said. (They first said that it was P9 billion in Sorsogon, P12 billion in Bulacan. Next they said it was P142 billion, then they deleted it, making it P150 billion. Which one do I really have to answer? Secondly, they said it was only me at first, then Senator Villanueva was included, then the entire Senate.) 'Bibigyan ko kayo ng kabuuang sagot. Ang kabuuang panukala amendment kaugnay sa 2025 budget ay umaabot sa humigit kumulang P600 bilyon. Nilipat- lipat, tinanggal, dinagdag. So, kung totoo man 'yung sinasabi nila na P150 billion ang binago ng Senado, nasaan 'yung P500 bilyon 'yung magbabagong 'yun saan nanggaling?' (I will give you a complete answer. The total proposed amendment on the 2025 budget amounted to approximately P600 billion. It was later on revised. If their allegation that the Senate changed P150 billion, where's the remaining P500 billion?) In December last year, signed into law the P6.326-trillion national budget for 2025 and vetoed over P194 billion worth of line items that are not consistent with his administration's priorities. Former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez, Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab, and others have asked the Supreme Court (SC) to declare the 2025 national budget as unconstitutional amid alleged irregularities and supposed blank items in the bicameral conference committee report. Marcos, meanwhile, maintained that there were no blank pages in the bicameral conference committee report on the 2025 national budget. Escudero further denied that there was a P150 billion insertion to the 2025 General Appropriations Act. He also said that there were 'changes' in the budget for the province of Sorsogon, but it did not amount to P9 billion, as speculated. 'Para sa'kin, hindi parang makalipas ang 27 taon, ngayon lamang yata ako maaakusahan ng isang bagay na ganyan. Ang masakit dinamay pa si Senator Joel,' he expressed. (After 27 years, It's only now that I'm being accused of something like this. What hurts more is that Senator Joel is being included.) To avoid similar insinuations, Escudero said he will suggest that Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who is set to lead the Senate committee on finance, to release a list of each senator's proposed amendments in the national budget. The Senate President further asked the government agencies not to request for a budget higher than what was submitted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). This, as President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. said in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the government would operate under a reenacted budget in 2026, warning that he will veto a proposed budget bill that will not be in harmony with his administration's programs and priorities. The President also said he will return any proposed Generation Appropriations bill that is not fully aligned with the National Expenditure Program (NEP). 'Ang panukalang budget ay nanggagaling hindi lamang sa executive pero pati sa Kongreso. Hindi naman porket binalangkas ng executive lahat 'yun ay tama na. Hindi naman porket binalangkas ng executive lahat 'yun ay hindi na pwedeng baguhin at tila nakaukit na sa bato,' Escudero said. (The proposed budget comes not only from the executive but also from Congress. Just because it was the executive that outlined everything, all of those are already right and cannot be changed.) 'Ang marapat na dapat baguhin, dapat baguhin dahil 'yung mga kalihim mismo ng Pangulo ay humihiling sa Kongreso ng dagdag o pagbabago sa kani-kanilang budget. So siguro kung may ganyang uri ng kautusan ang Pangulo dapat pagsabihan din niya ang kanyang mga kalihim na kapag may sinumite ng budget ang DBM para sa kanilang departamento, 'wag na silang humirit pa dahil bago sila makahirit ang pagkukunan ay ibang departamento rin,' he added. (What should be changed, must be changed because the President's cabinet secretaries themselves are asking the Congress for an increase or change in their respective budgets. So maybe the President should also tell his secretaries that when the DBM submits a budget for their department, they should stop asking for an increase because the source for that increase will be gotten from the budget of another agency.) The DBM defines a reenacted budget as a situation where the previous year's GAA is extended and remains in effect for a preceding year until such time the Congress passes a budget bill into law. Marcos approved earlier this month the P6.793-trillion NEP for Fiscal Year 2026. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
SONA 2025 protesters slam hurdles to VP Sara Duterte impeachment
Groups on Monday protested against the obstacles to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was among those to blame for the delay. Several groups marched along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City to call for action from the government as Marcos delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). Former ACT Teachers party-list representative France Castro expressed disappointment over the developments in the vice president's impeachment case. 'Sino ang dapat na sisihin kung bakit nagkakaroon ng delay sa pagpapanagot sa impeachment? Si Marcos, ang liderato ng Senado. Dahil inuuna pa ang mga personal na mga posisyon, personal na mga interes laban sa hustisya. Ang Supreme Court, inuna pa ang kapakanan ni Sara Duterte,' she said. (Who should be blamed for the delay in impeachment? Marcos, the leadership of the Senate. Because personal positions, personal interests are prioritized over justice. The Supreme Court put benefiting Sara Duterte welfare before it.) 'Hindi tayo titigil hangga't hindi mapatalsik si Sara Duterte. Patalksin si Sara Duterte, i-impeach si Sara Duterte. Tayo yung magsisilbing hukom at gagamitin ang buong lansangan para gawin nating korte. So tayo ay maniningil kay Sara Duterte, [at] kay Marcos na nagpabaya,' Castro added. (We will not stop until Sara Duterte is ousted. Depose Sara Duterte, impeach Sara Duterte. We will serve as judges and use the streets as our court. So we will blame Sara Duterte, [and] Marcos for his dereliction.) Kiko Aquino Dee, one of those who filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte, called out the government's slow action on what he called the misappropriation of funds. 'Simpleng ang mga tanong namin. Tama ba ang paglustay ng pera ng DepEd sa kalagitnaan ng isang krisis sa edukasyon? Tama ba ang pagbanta ng karahasan at pagpatay sa kahit sinong mamamayang Pilipino? Imbes na sagutin ang mga tanong na ito, pinaglaruan ng kamara ang impeachment complaint mula Disyembre hanggang Pebrero,' said Dee, referring to the questions of Duterte's handling of the education department's funds when she was secretary, and to her threats against Marcos. (Our questions are simple. Was it right for the Department of Education to waste money in the middle of an education crisis? Is it right to threaten with violence and kill any Filipino citizen? Instead of answering these questions, the chamber toyed with the impeachment complaint from December to February.) 'Nagpatumpik-tumpik ang Senado mula Pebrero hanggang Hunyo at ginawang mas makitid ng Korte Suprema ang butas ng karayum na kailangan natin daanan para makapit ang hustisya ngayong Hulyo,' he added, in reference to the Supreme Court's ruling that the articles of impeachment against Duterte were unconstitutional. (The Senate chose to relax from February to June and the Supreme Court narrowed the needle we must pass through to get justice this July.) 'Hanggang ngayon naghuhugas-kamay ang Malacañang dahil ang pagpapanagot sa isang mataas ng opisyal ay hindi raw makakatulong sa iisang Pilipino. Hindi talaga nakakatulong ang impeachment sa mga makapangyarihan. Pero baka nakakalimutan nila, hindi lang sila ang mga Pilipino, Pilipino tayong lahat. Habang hindi napapanagot ang mga katiwalian at impunity, Pilipino ang ninanakawan. Pilipino ang pinapapatay,' Dee added. (Until now, Malacañang is washing its hands because it claims that holding a high official to account will not help a single Filipino. Impeachment does not really help the powerful. But maybe they forget, they are not the only Filipinos, we are all Filipinos. While corruption and impunity are not held accountable, Filipinos are the ones being robbed. Filipinos are being killed.) 'No bite' For his part, Bayan president Renato Reyes Jr. said that Marcos' SONA was 'all bark but no bite.' 'The tough talk on corruption ignored the most crucial corruption issue today: the impeachment of the Vice President and the abuse of so-called confidential funds. Mr. Marcos had nothing to say about the elephant in the room—the House impeached the Vice President, the Senate stalled the trial and the Supreme Court derailed the trial. How could the president not comment on a matter involving massive corruption, conflict among the different branches of government and the miscarriage of justice? How will we even take his anti-corruption rhetoric seriously?' he said in a statement. The SC's ruling is in relation to the consolidated petition filed by Duterte, lawyer Israelito Torreon, and others seeking to declare the Articles of Impeachment against her as null and void. Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting clarified that the high tribunal "is not absolving" Duterte from the charges against her, but added that "any subsequent impeachment complaint" may only be filed starting February 6, 2026. This is a day after the one-year anniversary of House of Representatives impeachment of Duterte, including its endorsement of the fourth complaint that constituted the Articles of Impeachment. The SC decision is immediately executory. However, Ting said the House of Representatives may still file a motion for reconsideration. Religious groups join action Aside from progressive groups, members of the religious sector also joined the rally as they sought accountability from the Marcos administration on various issues. Reverend Carleen Nomorosa, ordained deacon of United Methodist Church, was joined by more than 90 seminarians and pastors. 'Nandito kami dahil naniniwala kami na dapat i-convict si Sara Duterte at dapat singilin si Marcos sa kanyang pananahimik…at sa kanyang hindi pagtugon sa mga hinaing ng taong bayan,' she told reporters. (We are here because we believe that Sara Duterte should be convicted and Marcos should be charged for his his failure to respond to the grievances of the people.) For her part, Sister Shirley Mabunga of Missionaries of Perpetual Help said that joining the protests means being in one with the plight of the masses. 'Bilang isang taong simbahan, nakikiisa kami rito para sa boses ng mga mamayan na humihingi ng katarungan at katotohan dahil sa mga nangyaring issues sa ating bansa, dahil na rin sa mga dinanas na kahirapan ng ating mga kababayan lalo ng mga nakalipas na bagyo,' she told GMA News Online. (As a church person, we are united here for the voice of the people who are asking for justice and truth because of the issues that happened in our country, also because of the hardships suffered by our countrymen especially in the past typhoons.) — BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
21-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Chiz to push for reconvening of impeachment court on August 4
Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero on Monday said that he will propose to his fellow senators that the impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte begin on August 4, 2025. Escudero, who sits as presiding officer of the impeachment court, explained that notices have to be given both to the House prosecution and the camp of Duterte regarding the trial. He also said that the House of Representatives still has to comply with the court's order when it voted to return the articles of impeachment on June 10. ''Yun 'yung imumungkahi ko. Bakit 'yung petsang 'yun? Dahil kailangang bigyan ng notice 'yung mga partido. Hindi naman pwedeng naisipan lang ng majority ng Senado pag-open ng Senado eh bukas na bukas din. Kailangang may sapat na panahon para mabigyan ng notice 'yung mga partido,' Escudero said in an ambush interview. (That's what I'm going to propose. Why that date? Because the parties have to be given notice. The Senate majority can't simply decide that the trial begins the next day. There needs to be enough time to give notice to the parties involved.) 'Pangalawa, wala pa namang order 'yung Senado dun na hindi pa kino-comply ng Kamara. Hopefully, that one week period, 'yung Kamara will be given time to comply with the orders of the Senate impeachment court dahil 'yung pangalawang order hindi ba, dapat ang gumawa nun 20th House of Representatives, hindi 'yung nagdaang House of Representatives. Kung hindi man nila ma-comply yun pagdating ng August 4, edi dun na lang namin pag-uusapan,' he added. (Second, the House has not yet complied with the order issued by the Senate. Hopefully with that one-week period, they will be able to do so because the second order states that it is the 20th House of Representatives that should comply. If they won't be able to comply by August 4, then we have yet to talk about that.) The Senate impeachment court first convened on June 10, with the senator-judges under the 19th Congress voting to return the articles of impeachment without dismissing or terminating the case until such time that: The House of Representatives certify to the non violation of Article XI, Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which provides that 'No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within one year; include the circumstances on the filing of the first three impeachment complaints"; and The House of Representatives of the 20th Congress communicates to the Senate that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint against the Vice President. It was Senator Joel Villanueva who first revealed that the day one of Duterte's impeachment trial may be on August 4—a week after the Senate and the House of Representatives open their first regular session for the 20th Congress. Escudero, meanwhile, shrugged off claims that the Senate is delaying the trial, stressing that it is not their job to rush it. 'Hindi porket nagmamadali sila ay kailangan na rin namin magmadali. Gagawin namin ito sang ayon sa proseso. Ulitin ko, madaliin, delay na naman—edi bukas na bukas rin mag-hearing tayo kahit na walang notice sa mga partido—paano naman 'yun?' He asked. (Just because they're in a hurry, we have to hurry as well. We'll do it according to the process. We can't conduct the hearing without giving notice to the parties involved.) Escudero said that the final date regarding the impeachment proceedings will be announced in the plenary. Inhibit? On Monday, youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) trooped to the Senate, urging Escudero to inhibit as senator-judge and presiding officer in Duterte's impeachment trial. In their open letter, the student leaders asserted that there is an 'immediate need not only to get on with the impeachment proceedings forthwith, but to demonstrate to the public that the proceedings will be insulated as much as possible from political maneuvering and will be focused only on weighing the merits of evidence.' 'As Senate President, recusing from the proceedings of the impeachment court assures the public that the leading figure of the Senate will stand above the partisan politics that define the legislative process,' the youth group said. 'We believe that the delays in the start of the impeachment proceedings—whatever their reason—have damaged the legitimacy of the Senate enough to merit drastic measures on your part as Senate President to reassure the public that the impeachment court can carry out its constitutional duty without fear or favor,' it added. Escudero, in response, said that he does not consider the call of the students a necessity nor fair. 'Kung ang depinisyon nila ng pagiging patas as kakampi sa kanila sa gusto nila, pwes hindi patas 'yun. Klaro ang gusto nilang mangyari, at porke hindi sumasangayon o sumusunod sa kanila, eh hindi na patas. Being fair means applying the rule evenly to everyone regardless who it is,' the Senate President said. (If their definition of fairness is to side with them in everything they want, then it's not fair. What they want to happen is clear, and it doesn't mean that just because we don't agree or follow them, it's not fair already. Being fair means applying the rule equally to everyone regardless of who it is.) Escudero also reiterated that the impeachment court will not listen to anyone who is in favor of or against the impeachment trial and will only do what is right in accordance with the law. The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. The Vice President was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. Duterte had entered a 'not guilty' plea in the verified impeachment complaint filed against her, which she called merely a 'scrap of paper.' —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
21-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
LOOK: Senate unveils 20th Congress ‘Legacy Wall'
The Senate on Monday unveiled the new 'Legacy Wall' featuring senators of the 20th Congress. Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero led the unveiling ceremony, noting that the portraits of the senators were arranged in alphabetical order. 'Ito ang kumakatawan sa ika-20 Kongreso, kasama 'yung mga bagong papasok na kongresista sa parte ng Senado,' Escudero said. (This represents the 20th Congress, including the new, incoming senators.) 'Kagaya ng sinabi ko, alphabetical naming in-arrange, so walang partikular na ayos 'to pagdating sa seniority or posisyon sa Senado. Alphabetical ang sinunod namin, hindi katulad ng nagdaan na sinunod ang mga opisyal ng Senado,' he added. (We arranged this alphabetically, so there is no particular order when it comes to seniority or position in the Senate. We put it in alphabetical order, unlike in the past, where the order was based on the senators' positions.) LOOK: The Senate unveils the new 'Legacy Wall' featuring senators of the 20th Congress. @gmanews — Giselle Ombay (@giselleombay_) July 21, 2025 The mural is currently installed at the second floor of the Senate Building in Pasay City. Escudero said that the Senate allocated a budget of around P800,000 for the legacy wall, which includes the photography of each senator. 'Almost the same as the one last year,' he said when asked if the amount was reasonable. The 20th Congress is set to begin its first regular session on July 28, before President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
14-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Hontiveros wants e-wallets, super apps to also ‘self-regulate' vs. online gambling
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday expressed hope that e-wallet and super app companies will take steps to self-regulate amid the prevalence of online gambling in the country. Hontiveros, who earlier filed a bill seeking to ban online gambling access in e-wallets and super apps, made the remark as three of the country's largest integrated resort-casino operators said that their online gaming operations comply with laws and regulations. 'Kung sinasabi ng malalaking mga casino na sumusunod na sila sa mga kasalukuyang regulasyon, okay yun. Ibig sabihin, hindi rin magiging problema kung magdagdag man ng paghihigpit pagdating sa online gambling,' the lady senator said. (If big casinos say they are following regulations, that's well and good. That means there should be no issue if we tighten access to online gambling.) Despite this, she questioned why e-wallet and super app companies are seemingly silent regarding claims that have made online gambling easier to access. 'Sa dami ng reklamo na napadali ng e-wallets at super apps ang online gambling, bakit tila tahimik ang mga kumpanyang ito? Umaasa akong magkakaroon rin sila ng sarili nilang regulasyon dahil hindi biro ang mga buhay na nasira at pwedeng masira dahil sa online gambling,' Hontiveros said. (With so many complaints pointing to how phones have made online gambling too easy to access, why are e-wallet and super app companies silent? I hope that they would also take steps to self-regulate. Too many lives have been ruined and could be ruined by online gambling. Too many families have already been hurt.) 'Napakaraming nagme-message sa opisina namin sa Senado, dahil sa dami na ng nalululong, nalulubog sa utang, at namamatay dahil sa bisyo na ito. Sa ganitong sitwasyon, hindi na sapat ang pagsunod lamang sa batas. Kailangan din nating makiisa,' she added. (My office in the Senate has received numerous messages from people desperate for help. These are reports of loved ones who have become addicted, buried in debt, and who've taken their own lives due to this vice. In this situation, it's not enough that we follow the law. We also need to care. We need to act together.) 'Enablers of debt' Meanwhile, Senator JV Ejercito, who also filed a resolution seeking for the regulation of online gambling and lending in the country, said that e-wallet companies have become a way for Filipinos to go into debt. 'Ang e-wallet ay ginawa para padaliin ang buhay ng mga Pilipino, hindi para maging enablers ng sugal at utang—dalawang bagay na sumisira sa mga pamilya at kinabukasan. Hindi dapat pinapayagan na gatasan pa ang kahinaan ng ilan nating kababayan,' Ejercito said. (E-wallets were created to make the lives of Filipinos easier, not to be enablers of gambling and debt—two things that destroy families and the future. It should not be allowed to take advantage of the weakness of some of our countrymen.) 'Once a financial tool begins enabling addiction, it is the government's duty to intervene. To strictly regulate and stop them from further fueling this gambling culture,' he continued. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), for its part, is now looking to have payment service providers (PSPs) create a facility that would allow users to create a separate online gambling transaction account (OGTA), which will then be placed under stricter rules in a bid to protect clients from risks associated with the industry. Under a draft circular released to stakeholders for exposure, the central bank is looking to have players create an OGTA in order to participate in online gambling. With the creation of an OGTA, all lending options in the digital platform will be disabled. Monumental step Senator Sherwin Gatchalian welcomed this move by the BSP, emphasizing that it is a monumental step toward the responsible use of digital services. 'Daily caps, time limits, and biometric verification can help curb the alarming rise of gambling addiction, especially among the youth,' he said. Like the other senators, Gatchalian has also proposed a measure that would impose strict regulations for online gambling in the country as part of efforts to address the growing gambling addiction especially among the youth. — BM, GMA Integrated News
