DAVAO City Third District Representative Isidro Ungab is set to deliver a privilege speech on August 4, raising alarm over the bicameral conference committee’s amendments to the automatic appropriations in the 2025 national budget.
Ungab, who has been serving in Congress for 15 years, said this is the first time he has seen the bicameral panel alter items under the automatic appropriations—a move he described as unprecedented and constitutionally questionable.
In a statement on July 31, he warned that these changes could have serious implications for government operations and the welfare of every Filipino.
In his speech, Ungab will outline his concerns over the way the bicameral committee handled two major funding mechanisms: the Special Accounts in the General Fund (SAGF) and the Use of Income in the General Fund (UIGF). He intends to present a detailed analysis of the changes made to these allocations, the constitutional and legal issues raised by modifying automatic appropriations, and the potential effects on government services and programs. He will also recommend corrective legislative actions to address the issue.
Ungab explained that automatic appropriations differ from the annually legislated General Appropriations Act because existing laws already authorize them, eliminating the need for yearly congressional approval.
Because the SAGF and UIGF fall under this protected category, he argued that the bicameral committee’s move constitutes a breach of established budgetary procedures and constitutional mandates.
Earlier this year, Ungab had already expressed concern over discrepancies in the Bicameral Conference Committee report, citing blank sections in the document. He noted that parts of the report, particularly those involving the Department of Agriculture and unprogrammed appropriations, were missing crucial figures, some billions of pesos.
Ungab brings extensive experience in fiscal legislation, having chaired the House Committee on Appropriations during the 16th and 18th Congresses and the Committee on Ways and Means during the 15th Congress. RGP
