Romualdez seeks to allow watchdogs participate in budget deliberations
Under the resolution, bonafide people's organizations will be formally accredited and invited to actively participate as official non-voting observers in the deliberations of the House committee on appropriations and its sub-committees in the crafting of the national budget for 2026 and in all succeeding annual General Appropriations deliberations.
Likewise, the resolution provides that the House committee on appropriations, in consultation with the Committee on People's Participation, will draft appropriate guidelines to determine eligibility, accreditation procedures, and the scope of participation of such organizations, consistent with existing laws and rules of the House.
'Let this resolution affirm the commitment of the House of Representatives to uphold democratic governance, participatory budgeting, and inclusive national development,' the resolution read.
Romualdez co-authored House Resolution 94 with his wife, Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Romualdez, and their son, also Tingog party-list Rep. Andrew Julian Romualdez.
The other author is Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre.
Earlier, lawmakers from the House and the Senate also filed a joint resolution opening all bicameral conference committee deliberations on the national budget to the public, conducted in person or through digital live streaming.
Likewise, the joint resolution requires the bicameral conference panel to produce a matrix comparing the differences between the House of Representatives' and the Senate's versions of the bill, and how these differences were resolved.
Authors of the Open Bicam Resolution in the House include: ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, Albay Rep. Krisel Lagman, Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene Bag-ao, and Akbayan party-list Reps. Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Ismula.
The Senate counterpart of the joint resolution is authored by Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Senators Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, Migz Zubiri, Loren Legarda, Francis Pangilinan, and Bam Aquino. Aquino and Pangilinan are the only senators from the majority bloc who signed on the Open Bicam Joint Resolution.
'The President mentioned about flood control projects bypassing the legitimate process, and we want the budget process to be transparent and accountable. This [Joint Resolution] is in response to the President's call for good governance and fighting corruption during his SONA,' Lagman told reporters.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
11 hours ago
- GMA Network
SC asked to reconsider VP Sara Duterte impeachment ruling
Former Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita 'Ging' Deles, Yvonne Jereza of Magdalo Partylist, and Dr. Sylvia Estrada Claudia, convenor of Tindig Pilipinas, filed a motion for reconsideration before the Supreme Court on Friday, August 1, 2025, on the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. Photo by Danny Pata Some of the individuals behind the first impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to reconsider its ruling declaring the articles of impeachment unconstitutional. The petitioners filed a motion for reconsideration ad cautelam. 'Naniniwala po kami na maling-mali ang naging desisyon ng ating Korte Suprema (we believe that the reasons of the SC is very wrong),' petitioners Sylvia Estrada Claudio said in an ambush interview. To recall, three impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte in December 2024, all of which were connected with the alleged misuse of confidential funds. It was the fourth impeachment complaint that was endorsed by over one-third of lawmakers from the House of Representatives, and was later transmitted to the Senate as the Articles of Impeachment. In its ruling, the SC declared that the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte are barred by the one-year rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution. The SC ruled that the one-year ban is reckoned from the time an impeachment complaint is dismissed or is no longer viable. It ruled that the first three complaints were deemed terminated or dismissed when the House endorsed the fourth complaint. However, Claudio said their complaint was not initiated. This was echoed by petitioner Teresita Quintos Deles, who said that the SC previously ruled that complaints are only initiated once deferred to the House Committee on Justice. 'By the ruling of the SC itself in an earlier case na sinabi na ang initiation ay kapag na defer lang sa Justice committee. Since hindi iyon nangyari, wala talagang prior initiation,' she said. (By the ruling of the SC itself in an earlier case where it was stated that initiation happens when it is merely deferred in the Justice committee. Since that did not happen, there was really no prior initiation.) The other petitioners are Akbayan Representative Percival Cendaña, Eugene Gonzales, Yvonne Jereza, Alicia Murphy, and Filomena Cinco. Claudio called on the Senate to continue the impeachment trial. 'Naniniwala din po kami na nag overstep ng kaunti ang ating SC dahil nag simula na ang Senado. At sa amin hong pananaw ay malinaw naman ho sa Konstitusyon na ang Senado ang may karapatan, at nag simula na po sila,' she said. (We also believe that our SC overstepped a bit because the Senate had already started. And in our view, it is clear in the Constitution that the Senate has the right, and they had already begun.) 'Sa atin pong mamamayan, nananawagan po kami na pwede naman pong i-criticize ang opinyon ng kahit sinong mataas na opisyal o institusyon, kasama na po ang SC,' she added. (To our fellow citizens, we are calling on you that it is okay to criticize the opinion of any high-ranking official or institution, including the SC.) — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
13 hours ago
- GMA Network
Banning online gambling must be studied thoroughly, says Palace
Malacañang on Friday said banning online gambling should be studied thoroughly, including its possible impacts to the country. During a press conference, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said this matter should be studied carefully as this may affect even the licensed ones. She was reacting to the question about President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. skipping online gambling during his fourth State of the Nation Address. ''So, dapat ito aralin mabuti ano ba ang dapat gawin dahil kapag nga tinanggal natin talaga agad-agad ang online gambling at maapektuhan naman iyong ibang mga lisensiyado, makakaapekto ba ito sa tulong sa bayan, sa tulong sa mga estudyante, sa tulong sa mga Pilipino? So, hindi po puwedeng magpadalus-dalos ang Pangulo dito. Dapat aralin po dahil sa totoo lamang po ang mga revenue po na ibinibigay ng lisensiyado na online gambling ay nakakapagbigay talaga ng tulong sa mamamayan,'' Castro said. (This should be studied carefully because if we remove this, those licensed ones will be affected and we have to determine if this will affect the assistance to the nation, to students, and to all Filipinos. So, the President cannot just decide on this. This should be studied as the revenues from licensed online gambling operations are helping the citizens.) ''So, dapat pong aralin at hindi po dapat na ora-orada at mag-uutos agad na tanggalin agad iyan, dapat inaaral po iyan. Iyang ganiyan po kasi, ang gusto ng Pangulo ay inaaral bago magpadalus-dalos sa aksiyon,'' she added. (This should be studied and it's not right to just prohibit this, this should be studied.) The Senate is set to hold an investigation regarding online gambling in the country, as announced by Senator Erwin Tulfo, chairman of the Senate games and amusement committee. Several other lawmakers have also called either for the total ban or strict regulation of online gambling, citing its negative impact on Filipinos who got addicted to it. PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco earlier noted that the gaming industry regulator recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ad Standards Council (ASC) to strengthen the monitoring of gambling-related advertisements across all platforms. It also recently ordered the takedown of all gambling ads in public spaces and primetime TV by August 15 this year. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
14 hours ago
- GMA Network
Senator urges BSP to apply stricter measures vs. online lending apps
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on Friday called on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to implement more stringent action against online lending apps amid the rise of internet gambling in the country. Villanueva, who earlier filed an anti-online gambling bill, said the BSP's regulatory oversight on online lending apps, electronic wallets, and digital banks should complement the efforts of law enforcement agencies in addressing the ill effects of online gambling to society. "Kapag pinagsama po ang iligal na online gambling at ang mapagsamantalang pautang ng mga online lending apps, siguradong malulugmok sa kumunoy ang ating mga kababayan," the senator said in a statement. (When you combine illegal online gambling and the exploitative loans offered by the online lending apps, our countrymen will surely fall into quicksand.) "Regulatory agencies must exercise their oversight to support our law enforcement bodies, and do their fair share in slowing down the rampant use of online gambling platforms," he added. The Senate is set to hold an investigation regarding online gambling in the country, as announced by Senator Erwin Tulfo, chairman of the Senate games and amusement committee. Several other lawmakers have also called either for the total ban or strict regulation of online gambling, citing its negative impact on Filipinos who got addicted to it. Villanueva also disclosed that he received information that some employees of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) have now shifted to online gambling operations, seeking electronic gaming licenses from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). "How does PAGCOR actually screen and monitor its licensees to ensure that these same individuals are not resurfacing under a different name or company? What concrete actions does PAGCOR take when irregularities are discovered?" he asked. PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco earlier noted that the gaming industry regulator recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ad Standards Council (ASC) to strengthen the monitoring of gambling-related advertisements across all platforms. It also recently ordered the takedown of all gambling ads in public spaces and primetime TV by August 15 this year. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
