President Bongbong Marcos Jr. firmly denied former President Rodrigo Duterte's allegations, calling the claims of discrepancies in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) outright 'lies'.
In an ambush interview following an event in Taguig City on Monday, Marcos stated that Duterte, being a former president, is aware that a GAA cannot be passed with blank items.
Marcos added that Duterte is aware that such an incident has never happened in the history of the Philippines.
He further emphasized that the GAA specifies each program and project, along with their corresponding allocations.
"He's lying [ex-Pres. Duterte], and his lying because he knows perfectly well that that does not ever happen," Marcos said.
"Sa buong kasaysayan ng buong Pilipinas, hindi pinapayagan na magkaroon ng item ang GAA nang hindi nakalagay kung ano 'yung project at tyaka ano 'yung gastos, ano 'yung pondo," he added.
WATCH: Pang. @bongbongmarcos, tinawag na sinungaling si dating Pang. Rodrigo Duterte | RH 14 @leth_narciso, DZRH News
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) January 20, 2025
📹: MPC Pool pic.twitter.com/TwW1ARGo3J
In the same regard, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin refuted allegations that President Marcos Jr. signed the 2025 GAA with blank sections, which were allegedly meant to be filled in later, like a blank check.
The official referred to Duterte's alleged malicious allegations as fake news and insisted that no part of the 2025 national budget was left unscreened before being signed by Marcos.
Furthermore, the GAA is reportedly accessible on the official website of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and available for public viewing and review.
Bersamin also pointed out that the more than 4,000 pages of the GAA underwent thorough scrutiny in both the House of Representatives and the DBM.
On Saturday, Duterte and Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab raised concerns about alleged blanks and discrepancies in the bicameral conference committee report.
Ungab presented pages from the bicam report showing blank spaces where amounts were supposed to be listed.
The former President argued that the GAA should not be considered valid legislation because of the alleged discrepancies.
