THE Nagkaisa Labor Coalition on Friday called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto the 2025 national budget, saying that it is riddled with “unconstitutional and anti-people provisions.”
In a statement, the group called the controversial budget a “corruption express train” going at full speed.
“This 2025 budget is no laughing matter — it’s a corruption express train barreling full speed ahead! Despite the automatic allocation of billions of pesos from sin taxes estimated collection of P70 billion, PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corp.) subsidies have been given zero appropriation, leaving millions of Filipinos without critical health care support, not to mention unpaid PhilHealth bills amounting to hundreds of billions in several hospitals,” Nagkaisa chairman Sonny Matula said.
“Meanwhile, pork barrel funds disguised as AKAP (Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita Program) get a hefty allocation of P26 billion, and the budget for the House of Representatives has been doubled from P16.3 billion to P33.7 billion (up by106 percent) — a glaring preparation for a reelection buffet funded by taxpayers’ money,” he added.
Matula said that the coalition’s member groups have urged the President to “stand firm in ensuring that the budget aligns with the Constitution and prioritizes the true needs of the Filipino people— health care, education, and social welfare over self-serving political interests.”
“The Constitution serves as a clear limitation on Congress’ power of the purse, ensuring that public funds are allocated in accordance with constitutional priorities and mandates. This responsibility must be observed with utmost diligence, as no one is above the law,” the labor group said.
“This budget doesn’t just violate constitutional mandates — it is a one-way ticket to disaster, prioritizing political gains over the welfare of the people.”
“We call on the president to stop this runaway train and return the budget to the House of Representatives and the Senate for a thorough review and realignment toward genuine public interest,” they added.
Marcos was supposed to sign the 2025 budget bill last week, but deferred it to December 30, raising concerns about the slashed allocation for health care and education.
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