2024 national budget 'bigger' than the approved P5.7 trillion, Pimentel says

Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate PRIB/File.' src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/12/13/20231113-senate-pimentel-judiciary-budget-sprib-2.jpg' ><figcaption>Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate PRIB/File.</figcaption></figure></div>MANLA — Congress’ recently-approved P5.768 trillion 2024 national budget is actually higher by P731 billion, according to Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/11/23/congress-oks-p5768-trillion-2024-national-budget'>Congress OKs P5.768-trillion 2024 national budget</a></li></ul>That P731 billion represents “unprogrammed funds,” which Pimentel noticed has been increasing yearly.For next year, the Marcos administration only submitted a P281 billion “unprogrammed appropriations,” which when approved by Congress ballooned to P449 billion, Pimentel said."Never envisioned by the Executive branch, kasi sa submission nya, P281 billion lang yung sinubmit nya eh... Nag-concur ang Kongreso pagdating sa programmed appropriations," Pimentel said."Hindi namin binawasan, hindi dinagdagan. May galawan sa loob on how it is distributed. Pagdating sa second part, P281 billion lamang ang proposal ng Executive branch. Ano ang ending, P730 billion ang ending. So, therefore dinagdagan ng Kongreso ng P450 billion," he added.“Yung reported nyong P5.7 trillion, dagdagan nyo ng P450 billion yan kasi dyan sa P5.7 trillion, kasi kasama na dyan yung P281 billion ng unprogrammed,” he stressed.Asked how much is the real national budget figure, Pimentel said: “P6 trillion. Including the unprogrammed. That’s six.”And as Pimentel noticed, unprogrammed appropriations have been increasing “yearly.”“When the Executive submits a budget sa Congress, nakaporma na yung programmed appropriations at unprogrammed appropriations. Therefore that is the submission of the President na yan lang ang kailangan nyang halaga to operate the government,” Pimentel explained.“Ang problema sa unprogrammed, two years running ko nang napapansin, nagbo-bloat ang unprogrammed appropriations... this P450 billion worth of projects or programs or activities, nasa unprogrammed appropriations ay hindi na nanggaling yan sa Executive branch. Compliant ba yan sa Constitution?,” Pimentel stressed.The senator then cited what’s in the Constitution, which only allows Congress to either reduce or maintain the Executive’s submitted appropriations, but not increase it.Pimentel said such move was “unconstitutional” and could be questioned by anyone before the Supreme Court.A higher unprogrammed fund would mean budgeting it through loans, the senator said.“Actually, itong 2023, tinawag ko na itong the first P6 trillion budget... i-add nyo si unprogrammed. Actually, 2023, is the second P6T budget,” Pimentel stressed.Pimentel said he will talk to lawyers if they will accept the challenge of questioning the constitutionality of these “unconstitutional” increase of unprogrammed funds.RELATED VIDEO<figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=2783512' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div>

For next year, the Marcos administration only submitted a P281 billion “unprogrammed appropriations,” which when approved by Congress ballooned to P449 billion, Pimentel said."Never envisioned by the Executive branch, kasi sa submission nya, P281 billion lang yung sinubmit nya eh... Nag-concur ang Kongreso pagdating sa programmed appropriations," Pimentel said."Hindi namin binawasan, hindi dinagdagan. May galawan sa loob on how it is distributed. Pagdating sa second part, P281 billion lamang ang proposal ng Executive branch. Ano ang ending, P730 billion ang ending. So, therefore dinagdagan ng Kongreso ng P450 billion," he added.“Yung reported nyong P5.7 trillion, dagdagan nyo ng P450 billion yan kasi dyan sa P5.7 trillion, kasi kasama na dyan yung P281 billion ng unprogrammed,” he stressed.Asked how much is the real national budget figure, Pimentel said: “P6 trillion. Including the unprogrammed. That’s six.”And as Pimentel noticed, unprogrammed appropriations have been increasing “yearly.”“When the Executive submits a budget sa Congress, nakaporma na yung programmed appropriations at unprogrammed appropriations. Therefore that is the submission of the President na yan lang ang kailangan nyang halaga to operate the government,” Pimentel explained.“Ang problema sa unprogrammed, two years running ko nang napapansin, nagbo-bloat ang unprogrammed appropriations... this P450 billion worth of projects or programs or activities, nasa unprogrammed appropriations ay hindi na nanggaling yan sa Executive branch. Compliant ba yan sa Constitution?,” Pimentel stressed.The senator then cited what’s in the Constitution, which only allows Congress to either reduce or maintain the Executive’s submitted appropriations, but not increase it.Pimentel said such move was “unconstitutional” and could be questioned by anyone before the Supreme Court.A higher unprogrammed fund would mean budgeting it through loans, the senator said.“Actually, itong 2023, tinawag ko na itong the first P6 trillion budget... i-add nyo si unprogrammed. Actually, 2023, is the second P6T budget,” Pimentel stressed.Pimentel said he will talk to lawyers if they will accept the challenge of questioning the constitutionality of these “unconstitutional” increase of unprogrammed funds.RELATED VIDEO<figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=2783512' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div>

<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/11/23/congress-oks-p5768-trillion-2024-national-budget'>Congress OKs P5.768-trillion 2024 national budget</a></li></ul>That P731 billion represents “unprogrammed funds,” which Pimentel noticed has been increasing yearly.

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate PRIB/File.' src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/12/13/20231113-senate-pimentel-judiciary-budget-sprib-2.jpg' ><figcaption>Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate PRIB/File.</figcaption></figure></div>MANLA — Congress’ recently-approved P5.768 trillion 2024 national budget is actually higher by P731 billion, according to Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

The P5.768 trillion 2024 national budget is actually higher by P731 billion, according to Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel.

2024 national budget 'bigger' than the approved P5.7 trillion, Pimentel says | ABS-CBN News

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2024 national budget 'bigger' than the approved P5.7 trillion, Pimentel says

2024 national budget 'bigger' than the approved P5.7 trillion, Pimentel says