Article by:
Zaldy De Layola
MANILA – As Congress reconvenes Monday, House of Representatives leaders assured that the ratification of the proposed PHP6.352 trillion national budget for 2025 will be on top of its agenda.
In a press release Sunday, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe of Zamboanga’s 2nd District said they are hopeful the Senate would pass the budget proposal soon so the bicameral conference committee could work on the common version.
“We hope to ratify the bicam report before our Dec. 20 Christmas break,” he said.
Aside from the national budget proposal, Dalipe said the House would continue to exercise its oversight power through its various committees, including the quad committee (quadcom) that hears the interconnected issues of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), illegal drugs, money laundering and extrajudicial killings.
“We remain steadfast in protecting our people from abuses and exposing acts of wrongdoing in government,” Dalipe said.
The quadcom is scheduled to conduct its 10th hearing on Nov. 7, with anticipation that former president Rodrigo Duterte would attend the inquiry.
The Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability will also probe into the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President.
The House would likewise focus on passing the remaining measures in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council priority list: Budget Modernization Bill, National Defense Bill, amendments to the Agrarian Reform Law and amendments to the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease.
Manila POGO raid
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil on Sunday lauded the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) for its successful operation that dismantled what it called the “mother of all scam hubs” in Manila on Oct. 29.
“The operation was a testament to the dedication of our PNP-ACG personnel, whose relentless pursuit of justice has exposed and disrupted a significant hub of criminal activity linked to online scams, illegal gambling, and human trafficking,” Marbil said in a statement.
The raid on the 40-story Century Peak Tower, located at the corner of Santa Monica and Adriatico Streets in Ermita, was based on validated intelligence, according to the PNP.
Sixty-nine foreign nationals were arrested. (PNA)
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