Contact Details

Rm. N-411, House of Representatives, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
+63 2 931 5497, +63 2 931 5001 local 7370

Press Statements

The P3.9-B net increase in the annual budget of DPWH is not a “pork barrel” insertion but an appropriation for priority locally-funded projects which were overlooked or not included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the President to Congress.

This clarification is being made to correct the headline of the news account which appeared in the Philippine Star yesterday (12 January 2008) reading “Pork barrel padded by P4 B, not P13.6 B, says Lagman”.

Press Statements

The grossly inaccurate revelation of former senator Franklin Drilon of an expanded “pork barrel” in the House version of the 2008 General Appropriations Bill is malevolently designed to torpedo and derail the forthcoming bicameral meetings on the disagreeing provisions in the House and Senate versions of the national budget bill.

Drilon’s misleading disclosure is intended to create a wedge between the House and Senate on the eve of the one-on-one meeting between me and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and head of the Senate Bicameral Conference Committee panel.

Press Statements

I vigorously oppose the proposal to tax text messaging for the following overriding reasons:

  1. The House leadership has committed that there will be no new taxes during the first regular session of the 14th Congress. We shall abide with this commitment to our people.
  2. Text messaging is the cheapest, fastest and most convenient means of communication particularly for the masses and taxing text messaging would burden the ordinary users.
  3. Even if the tax is imposed on the service provider, it would just the same be shifted to the cell phone user through increased charges.
  4. A tax on text messaging would impair or restrict the constitutionally guaranteed right of communication.
  5. When one buys a cell phone, the price he pays for the unit includes the corresponding value added tax (VAT). Another tax on using the said cell phone for text messaging would be an uncalled for and unreasonable impost.
  6. In lieu of a tax on text messaging, a serious study should be made on the advisability of imposing a windfall tax on service providers considering that the facility of text messaging does not require any additional costs to service providers.

Press Statements

The bicameral Conference Committee on the differing provisions of the House and Senate versions on the General Appropriations Bill (House Bill No. 2454) has decided to work during the Christmas break to finalize the forging of a reconciled bill.

The bicameral report on the 2008 annual appropriations is expected to be ratified on 28 January 2008 when Congress resumes its sessions.

Press Statements

The Committee on Appropriations shall assess and review the President’s budget proposal for FY 2008 on the basis of the congressional primacy in the appropriation of public funds as mandated by the Constitution.

We adhere to the maxim that with respect to the annual budget, “the President proposes, while Congress disposes.”

While we respect the President’s initiative on budget allocations and ceilings, it must be understood that even the “best budget” proposal is far from sacrosanct and impregnable.