Approving the 2025 national budget is not a criminal act, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe said Monday, a press release from the House of Representatives said.
“Passing the national budget is not a crime; it is a fundamental responsibility of Congress (House and Senate). Any attempt to portray it otherwise is a clear distortion of facts and an attack on the legislative process itself. Instead of engaging in political distractions, we must focus on ensuring that the 2025 budget is fair, responsive, and effectively serves the needs of the Filipino people,” Dalipe said.
He made the statement in reaction to the filing of criminal charges against him, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, in relation to the budget blanks controversy.
Dalipe also called the filing of the complaint politically motivated.
He said the mere fact that only House leaders were accused in the complaint “raises serious questions about the true intent behind these allegations.”
“The budget process is a shared responsibility, yet the focus on one chamber alone suggests a deliberate effort to mislead the public and cast doubt on the integrity of the House’s work,” he said.
“More telling is the involvement of former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez as one of the complainants. As a sitting member of the House during the deliberations of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill, he had every opportunity to raise objections, question allocations, and point out any supposed infirmities during plenary discussions. Yet, he did not,” he said.
“His silence during the legislative process, and his sudden emergence as a complainant, only reinforces the fact that these accusations are not grounded on actual violations but are politically motivated attacks meant to discredit the House leadership,” he added.
The House leader also questioned the timing of the filing of the complaint.
He pointed out that the House “remains committed to upholding its constitutional mandate, ensuring that every peso in the national budget is spent wisely and for the benefit of the nation.”
Dalipe reiterated that there is nothing criminal in passing the national budget.
“The approval of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) is not an act of wrongdoing but a constitutional duty of Congress. The national budget is the lifeblood of government operations, ensuring the delivery of essential services and the implementation of vital projects for the Filipino people,” he said.*
