Politics · Philippines Bureau
House members allegedly forced to pay 20% 'tariff' for budget allocations
A Navotas congressman testified before the Sandiganbayan that lawmakers were required to surrender a fifth of their requested funds as a condition for receiving allocations from the 2025 House budget. The allegation emerged during bail hearings related to the former House Speaker.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco told the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Tuesday that members of the House of Representatives faced demands to pay a 20-percent "tariff" in exchange for securing their requested allocations from the 2025 House General Appropriations Bill.
Tiangco made the allegation while testifying as a witness during bail proceedings connected to the former Speaker of the House. According to his account, the apparent levy system affected lawmakers seeking to obtain their full budget allocations.
The testimony adds to ongoing scrutiny of budget distribution practices within the legislative chamber. Such arrangements, if substantiated, would represent an irregular departure from standard congressional appropriations procedures.
The Sandiganbayan hearings are examining alleged irregularities in how House funds were managed and distributed during the budget cycle in question. Additional details regarding the scope and duration of such alleged practices were not immediately disclosed during the proceedings.