Photo credit: PCO

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has come out swinging against claims made by former President Rodrigo Duterte, who alleged that the 2025 national budget was signed with certain parts left blank. Marcos didn't hold back, calling out Duterte’s accusations as outright fabrications.

"He’s lying. He’s a president, he knows that you cannot pass a GAA with a blank. He’s lying because he knows perfectly well that doesn’t ever happen," Marcos firmly stated during a press briefing. The President was adamant, pointing out the meticulous process involved in drafting the General Appropriations Act (GAA), which spans a whopping 4,057 pages.

Every line, every figure in the budget, according to Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, was thoroughly reviewed. The exhaustive scrutiny was conducted by hundreds of professional staff from both Congress and the Department of Budget and Management. "It's impossible for any funding items to be left blank, as alleged by misinformed and malicious sources," Bersamin emphasized.

The administration assures the public that the GAA is available for review on the Department of Budget and Management's website, inviting anyone to see for themselves that there are no "fill-in-the-blank" sections as suggested.

Marcos, with a touch of exasperation, noted, “Sa kasaysayan ng buong Pilipinas, hindi pinapayagan na magkaroon ng item ang GAA nang hindi nakalagay kung ano 'yung project atsaka ano 'yung gastos.”

The administration’s message is clear: transparency is paramount, and any claims suggesting otherwise are simply unfounded. As the dust settles, the call is for facts to take precedence over fiction, ensuring that public trust remains intact in the handling of the nation’s budget.