THE House Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, on Wednesday suspended the briefing for the P9.2-billion proposed budget of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for 2025 after confirming the absence of DICT Secretary Ivan Uy and Privacy Commissioner and National Privacy Commission (NPC) chairman John Henry Naga.
Uy’s absence was attributed to a respiratory tract infection, while Naga is attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Senior Officials’ Meeting in Lima, Peru.
The absence of these key officials elicited concern among the House members, who stressed the necessity of their participation in the hearing.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez objected to the suspension, urging the briefing to proceed, citing the importance of moving forward with the discussions to avoid further delays.
But the motion to suspend had already been seconded as the presence of both Uy and Naga was deemed necessary for the budget review of the DICT’s budget proposal.
Given the circumstances, the committee decided to defer the briefing until next week, pending further notice.
