Two House Representatives, Pammy Zamora and Rodge Gutierrez, have criticized the filing of charges against Speaker Martin Romualdez by Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez. Zamora and Gutierrez questioned the legality and timing of the charges, pointing out that Alvarez did not raise any concerns during the budget deliberations and approval process. They also expressed concern about the selective targeting of House members in the charge sheet.
Taguig 2nd district Rep. Pammy Zamora and 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez have criticized their House colleague for filing charges against Speaker Martin Romualdez over the supposed controversies surrounding the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). Zamora on Monday, February 11, stated that Davao del Norte 1st district Rep.
Pantaleon Alvarez lacks both legal and moral grounds to file graft charges against Romualdez since he failed to raise any complaints or allegations during the budget measure's approval process. Alvarez led the filing of criminal charges against the House Speaker before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged falsification of legislative documents after inserting a P124 billion budget into blank spaces within the approved 2025 budget. As a sitting member of the House, Alvarez had ample opportunity to voice these concerns during the budget deliberations and approval stages, according to Zamora. However, he chose not to do so. 'It's very ironic that Mr. Alvarez barely participated in the non-stop budget hearings that we've had for the 2025 budget, whether at the committee level or in the plenary. He did not raise any concerns,' she said. Meanwhile, Gutierrez expressed that while everyone has the right to seek redress, he questioned the timing and venue of Alvarez' complaint. He argued that if the issue truly stemmed from legal concerns, it should have been raised earlier or filed before the Supreme Court. The complaint should also have been directed to the Supreme Court for clarification instead of a criminal venue. 'It's really questionable personally without going into the context that there is a prior redress in the House that was not asked,' Gutierrez noted. Zamora and Gutierrez also raised concerns regarding the propriety of the graft charges filed, questioning why no senator-member of the bicameral conference committee was included in the charge sheet.'The Speaker isn't even part of the Bicam. So, we hope that they clarified their respondents. If the charge is against the bicam, the Speaker should not have been included,' Zamora expressed. Gutierrez questioned the selective targeting of House members, noting, 'if you also look at the cast of characters, why... it's only House members who are respondents.' 'These are just some questions that I think the public should have asked in relation to the context of the filing of that case,' Gutierrez added
Philippines House Of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez Pantaleon Alvarez General Appropriations Act Corruption Charges Budget Controversy
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