BAGUIO City Mayor Benjamin Magalong should identify the House impeachment prosecutors he claims have budget insertions and substantiate an allegation the prosecution branded as false.⠀
House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon issued the challenge Sunday as he disputed Magalong’s reported claims involving members of the panel prosecuting Vice President Sara Duterte.⠀
“Ang hamon namin kay Mayor Magalong: pangalanan po ninyo kung sino ang tinutukoy ninyong House prosecutors na mayroong budget insertions,” Ridon stressed.⠀
“Katulad ng dati, nag-iimbento ng kuwento si Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong tungkol sa mga House impeachment prosecutors na mayroon umanong budget insertions ang ilan sa mga umuusig kay Vice President Sara Duterte. Hindi ito totoo, at katulad ng dati, kasinungalingang muli mula kay Mayor Magalong,” Ridon said.⠀
“Bakit ito kasinungalingan at fake news? Ang kasalukuyang ipinatutupad na budget ay ang 2026 General Appropriations Act, na tiniyak ng Kongreso, Senado at Pangulo na tinanggalan at pinagbawalang malagyan ng congressional insertions,” he explained.⠀
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed the P6.793-trillion 2026 General Appropriations Act on Jan. 5, while the Cabinet approved the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program on July 10 and House leaders said on July 27 they were still awaiting its formal transmittal before beginning budget briefings.⠀
“Hanggang ngayon, wala pa ring National Expenditure Program (NEP) na ipinapasa ang Ehekutibo sa Kongreso para sa 2027 national budget deliberations. Ang Ehekutibo ang may absolutong kapangyarihan sa nilalaman ng NEP 2027 bago ipasa sa Kongreso at Senado,” Ridon noted.⠀
“Hanggang ngayon, wala pa ring deliberasyon ang Kongreso para sa 2027 national budget; wala pa ring mga pagdinig na ipinapatawag ang House Committee on Appropriations para sa budget ng kahit alinmang opisina ng pamahalaan. Kaya ang tanong: papaanong magkakaroon ng insertions ang mga House prosecutors, at papaano sila magkakaroon ng pork barrel?” he asked.⠀
Ridon also recalled Magalong’s previous allegation that 67 lawmakers were involved in questionable flood control transactions, a claim that prompted Malacañang and lawmakers to publicly call on the mayor to identify those he was accusing and submit evidence.⠀
“Baka katulad na naman po ito noong kasagsagan ng flood control investigations, kung saan nagparatang kayo ng 67 kongresistang kasabwat sa korapsyon na kahit minsan hindi ninyo pinangalanan,” Ridon said.
He stressed that despite such allegations, the House prosecution panel will not be sidetracked and would remain focused on performing its constitutional duty to find out the truth and ensure accountability.
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“Panghuli at pinakamahalaga, nakatutok ang House prosecution panel sa aming papel sa pagtitiyak ng katotohanan at pananagutan sa mga impeachable offenses ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo,” he emphasized.
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“Hindi kami malilihis sa mga paratang na katulad nito, na malinaw na nagsisilbi sa interes ng akusadong Pangalawang Pangulo, para durugin ang kredibilidad ng prosekusyon, sa panahong papalapit na ang paglilitis sa paglalantad ng katotohanan sa maling paggamit ng pondo ng bayan, at sa mga hindi maipaliwanag na yaman ng Pangalawang Pangulo,” Ridon stressed.
