“To say the President alone is guilty of this budget mess is not just misleading, it is a constitutional falsehood.”
Thus stated Chairman Emeritus Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, responding firmly to the accusations that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. bears full responsibility for the budget scandal. Goitia called such claims “a distortion of both the law and the truth.”
In a statement, Goitia said: “Let us not forget what the Constitution itself provides. Article VI, Section 24 is clear: all appropriation bills originate from the House of Representatives. Congress crafts, debates, and finalizes the budget, including every insertion. If there are questionable items, accountability begins with those who authored and approved them in the legislative process.”
He added that to pin everything on the President is not only inaccurate but also undermines the principle of separation of powers.
Addressing the criticism that the President failed to veto enough questionable provisions, Goitia stressed that “the veto is a shield, not a sword. It cannot turn the President into a super legislator. The Constitution designed it as a defensive mechanism, not a license to rewrite the budget entirely. Without clear legal grounds, vetoing billions would risk overreach and paralyze communities dependent on those projects. Prudence, not recklessness, defines responsible leadership.”
On the suggestions that the budget controversy rises to the level of impeachment, Goitia was categorical, he pointed out that impeachment under Article XI is for grave abuse of power, culpable violation of the Constitution, or betrayal of public trust: “Signing into law a budget passed through the proper legislative process does not meet that threshold. If their logic were applied, then nearly every President since 1987 should have been impeached. That is not law, that is partisan fantasy.”
As for resignation, Goitia stressed that it is not a constitutional remedy but a personal choice. “Resignation is not demanded by partisan outrage. Our system provides only two lawful avenues: impeachment or elections. Anything outside of these weakens our democracy and destabilizes the Republic.”
Too, Goitia defended the creation of an independent commission by Malacañang.
“Under the Administrative Code, the President has the authority to establish fact finding bodies. These are not shields but instruments to investigate allegations and ensure findings that can stand in court. To reduce this to the phrase ‘investigating himself’ is a shallow soundbite. Transparency requires evidence, process, and structure, not political sloganeering,” he stated.
Goitia, in closing, emphasized that accountability in the budget process cannot be reduced to a single person.
“The budget is the product of an entire constitutional process. Congress authors it, the Executive reviews it, and the Judiciary is there to check abuses. To single out the President while ignoring legislative accountability is not only unfair, it is reckless. President Marcos has exercised his constitutional duties with restraint and stability. The real danger lies not in his leadership, but in those who weaponize deception to weaken the Republic.”
