“This decision, made with a heavy heart, is driven by pressing health concerns.”
Rep. Elizaldy Co of Ako Bicol party-list was removed as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.
At the resumption of the session on Monday after a monthlong Christmas break, Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos moved to declare the position vacant.
The chairmanship of the Committee on Appropriations is one of the most powerful positions in Congress.
Co was the committee head since the start of the 19th Congress in July 2022. There was no successor announced on the floor.
In a statement, Co said he was relieved over his removal as House appropriations chief, citing health concerns.
“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 said.
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 Marcos Jr. earlier signed into law the 2025 General Appropriations Act on Dec. 31, 2024 after vetoing P194 billion in line items he deemed inconsistent with his administration’s priorities.
The original budget was set at P6.352 trillion, but the vetoes reduced it to P6.326 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.”
Key vetoed items included P26.065 billion allocated for projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways and P168.240 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.
