182 retired military and police top brass protest Congress budget bill

SOME 182 retired military and police top brass two days ago issued an open letter addressed to President Marcos Jr. angrily protesting the government’s budget for next year, as revised by a joint “bicameral” committee of 12 legislators consisting of Senate President Francis Escudero and House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s most trusted people.

The letter pointed out that the new proposed budget, among other provisions, outrageously increased the money Congress members can use for their own expenses as well as for a fund likely to be used for their reelection in the May 2025 elections while reducing funds for critical departments with activities intended to alleviate the welfare of the poor.

There has never been such a widespread protest made publicly by retired officers against the proposed budget, and sources claim their dissatisfaction is shared by most active military officers, who, for obvious reasons, could not sign the open letter. The letter apparently has stunned Marcos, who ordered the postponement of his signing into law of the budget submitted by Congress, originally scheduled for last Friday.

“While we cannot yet announce the date of the signing, we can now confirm that certain items and provisions of the national budget bill will be vetoed in the interest of public welfare, to conform with the fiscal program, and in compliance with laws,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said last week. From today, a new budget must be enacted into law in a week’s time as it takes effect Jan. 1, or else last year’s budget will be reenacted and followed.

The retired military and police top brass’ protest against the proposed budget is also only the tip of the iceberg of snowballing disappointment against this administration, directed mainly against the president himself, his wife and cousin Speaker Romualdez. Even AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner himself may have made a slip of the tongue the other day. Asked by reporters whether the military still has confidence in Marcos, he replied: “We have full trust in the system.”

Marcos is in a serious quagmire. His cousin, the speaker, thought they could get away with a budget whose fund allocation would allow them to tighten their control through the May 2025 elections over the House of Representatives. They could then rush amending the Constitution to allow him to rule after the expiration of Marcos’ term as prime minister. But the outrageousness of the budget they formulated has raised the ire of nearly all political sectors, including the military, that even pro-Marcos columnists are against it.

Either they drastically revise the budget in the next few days, or they reenact last year’s budget of P5.8 trillion, a steep 7.4 percent reduction from the P6.3 trillion the bicam presented to Marcos. Either way such a reduced budget will be useless for them to advance their agenda of remaining in power after 20228.

Following is the open letter of the retired military generals and other officers:

“We, the retired and concerned members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), Uniformed Personnel, UP Vanguard, civil society and civic organizations and concerned citizens of the Republic, are writing to you today to convey our serious concerns regarding the questionable deviations of the approved General Appropriations Bill (GAB) 2025, from the National Expenditure Program (NEP) that your Excellency submitted to Congress.

These changes are the remarkable upgrades and new items which are unnecessary and which favor less important needs at the expense of the most basic needs of the Filipino people, including the welfare and security of our country.

We sincerely request, Your Excellency, that the budget be returned to the bicameral conference committee for a thorough and open assessment to ensure that allocations are consistent with the nation’s priorities and address the most pressing needs of the Filipino people. Furthermore, we urge Your Excellency to use your veto power to delete extraneous clauses and support the return of monies to essential sectors that were unfairly disregarded throughout the financial process.

Specific budget increases and reductions

1. Unjustified budget increases

– The Senate’s budget was also enhanced to P13.9 billion from the initial GAB allocation of P12.8 billion, whereby the increase was to P1.1 billion.

– The House of Representatives’ budget grew to P33.7 billion from the initial GAB allocation of P16.3 billion, an increase of 106 percent.

– The DPWH budget, for instance, went up to P1.1 trillion in the bicam report for the latest budgetary proposal, from the initial GAB allocation of P825.1 billion with an increase of P288.6 billion.

2. Insertion of the AKAP Fund*

– It is unclear where P26 billion was added for AKAP, which was initially removed by the Senate, which was a rather dubious item in the budget and which cast a shadow over other crucial needs. Besides the targeting criteria for this, this social safety net is ambiguous and devoid of transparency.

3. Severe reductions to critical departments

However, the overall budgets for important government departments and programs were greatly cut down to facilitate the abovementioned increases:

– Department of Agriculture: cut by P20 billion

– DepEd: cut by P22.6 billion

– DoH: cut by P25.8 billion

– DOLE: cut by P18 billion

– DSWD: cut by P96.9 billion

– Special Purpose Fund: cut down by P125.4 billion.

4. The AFP Modernization Program’s P15 billion reduction from its planned P50 billion reduces national defense efforts and hinders the AFP’s ability to confront security concerns and modernize necessary equipment. Restoring the full allocation is important for maintaining the country’s sovereignty and military readiness.

Upholding fiscal discipline and fiscal sustainability

The significant increases in the budget of Congress, DPWH, and other items that are discretionary in nature are a clear violation of the principles of equity and good governance. Meanwhile, cuts in the budget of important departments, including agriculture, education, health and social welfare, threaten the government’s ability in providing basic services to the Filipino citizens, especially the poor and the marginalized.

Indeed, the proposed bicam budget is not responsive to the president’s SONAs and public pronouncements, among which are addressing the learning and malnutrition crises, bridging the digital divide, promoting universal health care, prioritizing public transport, and reducing poverty and inequality.

Therefore, we humbly request Your Excellency to:

1. Reject the unfair upward variations and other expenses, which are arbitrary and not responsive to the pressing needs of the people.

2. Ensure efficient and prudent fiscal management. To ensure public funds are effectively allocated to address the nation’s most pressing needs.

3. Reinstatement of the initial funding for key departments as stated in the NEP to cater for the health, education, food security and social needs.

4. Ensure that those who have smuggled unrelated items, such as the AKAP fund, are held accountable because they cause the embezzlement of funds that could have been used for the more important needs of the nation.

5. Ensure transparency and accountability. These are vital to building trust, ensuring every peso is spent wisely, and preventing corruption. By upholding fiscal discipline, Your Excellency can guarantee resources are used to uplift the lives of those who need it most.

The NEP and the public trust

The National Expenditure Program is the overall management plan of your administration, which aims to achieve equal and balanced development. All these deviations and unjustified allocations being allowed to continue, distort the budgetary process and erode the public’s confidence in this government, thus potentially deny you the legacy of a sound and accountable stewardship of the nation’s resources.

We fervently ask for your firm and decisive action, your Excellency, because this will enhance your fight against corruption and correspondingly promote the public good and the well-being of all Filipinos.

Let this national budget be an enduring testament to your government’s commitment to attending to the real needs of the Filipino people and pave the way for the inevitable growth of this nation!”

*AKAP (Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program, or AKAP, is a Congress initiative purportedly to provide a one-time financial assistance of P5,000 to low-income and minimum-wage earners. It will be easy for incumbent congress members running for re-election in 2025 to fool voters that they are receiving the funds because of their largesse.

(A list of those who signed the open letter is in my column archives rigobertotiglao.com.)

---

Facebook: Rigoberto Tiglao

X: @bobitiglao

Website: www.rigobertotiglao.com

The post 182 retired military and police top brass protest Congress budget bill first appeared on Rigoberto Tiglao.

182 retired military and police top brass protest Congress budget bill
Source: Breaking News PH