We believe that the best move ever done by Davao City 3rd District Congressman Isidro Ungab is his bringing to the Supreme Court the issue on the alleged existence of expenditure items with blanks in amounts in the Bicameral Committee report regarding the bill on the proposed 2025 national budget.
According to Ungab the committee report was the basis of the final version of the Bill that was signed by the President. Ungab added that some “magicians” could have filled in the blanks in the version submitted to Malacanang.
Is Ungab and friends questioning the legality of the General Appropriations Act, or the Bicameral Committee report? We believe that being clear about the issue is very important because as far as the final version of the 2025 Appropriations bill is concerned no expenditure item has been left vacant. And it was on this premise that after over a week of review by his trusted men including those from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) the President proceeded to sign the Bill into law.
Assuming that the Davao Congressman is able to submit copies of the final Bicam Report with expenditure items not having any amount, will he be able to prove that it is the same copy that was transmitted to Malacanang?
And meanwhile that the High Court is looking into the validity of the question of legality raised by Ungab and company, will the government automatically revert to the 2024 national budget as basis for its operation?
On the other hand, will the Supreme Court be not interfering with the affairs of the other two independent departments of the national government – the Executive and the Legislative?
We believe however, that while elevating the issue to the Highest Court will resolve the constitutionality of the GAA it will also risk the separation of power among the three branches of government. And worst, it may even jeopardize the efforts of government to deliver the various services needed to improve the lives of people and to bring to fruition the aspirations of the government to reach the country’s maximum development objective.
Anyhow, if it will help settle the issue currently subject to heated discussions, then let the question of legality of the GAA proceed as fast as the complainants can do.
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At the local electoral scene we are again throwing this challenge to any of the candidates for city councilors in the three districts of Davao City.
Our challenge is for anyone candidate to include in his platform the amendment of the city’s zoning ordinance. Or perhaps propose a new ordinance relative to the application and/or renewal of business permit requiring establishments like poultry, swine farms, chicken dressing plants and private slaughterhouses to put up in its compound perimeter the so-called ‘Bio-fence.”
This one is done by planting branches and leaves abundant trees as wide as 5 to 8 meters space at the perimeter of the compound. The trees, once fully grown with thick branches and leaves, will then serve as natural barrier for insects like flies from going out of the compound immediately after harvest time. The tree leaves which are natural absorbents of carbon dioxide will prevent undesirable odor from permeating in nearby communities.
We are throwing this challenge to our aspiring politicians because somehow the same was ignored, or perhaps not found relevant by previous council candidates.
Besides, for the longest time seasonal emergence of swarm of flies and permeating of noxious odor from the compounds of poultry and swine farms as well as from chicken dressing plants have been consistently complained upon by community residents.
We are hoping that some, or even one, of our candidates for the city council will find our challenge worthy of looking into.
