President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has strongly denied accusations from former President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte and his supporters, who claimed that the national budget he signed contained blank sections.
“He’s lying!” President Marcos declared during an ambush interview on Monday after attending the launch of the TESLA Center Philippines at Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig City.
The President emphasized that it is impossible to pass a General Appropriations Act (GAA) with blank sections. “He’s a former President. He knows that you cannot pass a GAA with blanks. He’s lying because he knows that this never happens,” he said.
President Marcos further explained that, throughout Philippine history, every item in the GAA must specify the project, expenses, and funding. He added that while there have been reports of the 2025 national budget being 4,000 pages long, copies are readily available on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) website for verification.
“Go ahead and check the DBM website. Look for this so-called ‘blank check.’ You won’t find a single one. That’s how I’ll prove that what they’re saying is a lie,” the President said.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Lucas Bersamin also condemned the spread of false information. “The peddling of such fake news is outrightly malicious and should be condemned as criminal. No page of the 2025 National Budget was left unreviewed before the President signed it into law,” Bersamin stated.
