MANILA – The House of Representatives on Monday removed Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co as chair of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations.
Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. and presidential son Ferdinand Alexander Marcos made the motion to declare the position vacant during the plenary session.
“Mr. Speaker, I move to declare vacant the position of chairperson of (the) committee on appropriations,” Marcos said.
The motion was carried without objection, but no replacement was immediately named.
Co later issued a statement explaining that he had stepped down due to health concerns.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the majority in Congress for graciously accepting my decision to step down as Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations. This decision, made with a heavy heart, is driven by pressing health concerns,” Co said.
“The highly demanding nature of my role has taken its toll, and I now need to prioritize seeking the medical attention necessary for my well-being.”
He reflected on his tenure as appropriations chair, highlighting key accomplishments, including the Ayuda Para sa Kapos Ang Kita Program and securing funding for legacy initiatives in health, housing, and food security.
“I have always served at the pleasure of the majority. I am deeply honored to have been entrusted with the immense responsibility of steering the nation’s budget in service of the House of the people and the constituents we represent,” he added.
Co said he ensured that the 2023, 2024, and 2025 budgets were aligned with the administration’s eight-point economic agenda.
The House Committee on Appropriations plays a central role in the preparation and review of the national budget through the conduct of hearings on the budgets of various departments and government agencies.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) on December 31, 2024 after vetoing PHP194 billion in line items he deemed inconsistent with his administration’s priorities.
The original budget was set at PHP6.352 trillion, but the vetoes reduced it to PHP6.326 trillion.
In explaining his vetoes, the President stated that the administration aims to ensure that government spending “directly responds to the needs of the Filipino people,” while pursuing “strategic growth-enhancing fiscal consolidation.”
“We must be clearly driven by this goal because much as we want to do everything we wish for our people immediately and all at the same time, our finite resources compel us to exercise sound judgment to ensure our fiscal sustainability – we must not compromise our future, thus, the imperative need to program our priorities,” he said.
Key vetoed items included PHP26.065 billion allocated for projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways and PHP168.240 billion in unprogrammed appropriations.
Some programs, such as the Ayuda Para sa Kapos Ang Kita Program, were placed under conditional implementation, requiring agencies to issue guidelines to ensure compliance with relevant laws, policies, and regulations. (PNA)