Raoul Manuel mic got muted as he questioned Marcos’ certification as urgent of the proposed 2024 budget

Tension in the House earlier when Rep. Raoul Manuel questioned Marcos’ certification as urgent of the proposed 2024 budget. His microphone was then muted.

Manuel started by saying: “Madam Speaker, I will explain the basis of the point of order… I am citing Article VI, Section 26.2 of our Constitution. Allow me to read that part of our Constitution:

“‘No bill passed by both Houses shall become a law unless it has passed three readings on separate days, and printed copies thereof in its final form have been distributed to its Members three days before its passage, except when the President certifies to the necessity of its immediate enactment to meet a public calamity or emergency. Upon the last reading of a bill, no amendment thereto shall be allowed, and the vote thereon shall be taken immediately thereafter, and the ayes and nays entered in the Journal.’”

The microphone of the neophyte lawmaker from party-list group Kabataan was turned off when he tried to question the speedy passage of the proposed 2024 budget on Wednesday night, September 27.

The House was about to proceed to nominal voting on House Bill No. 8980 (also known as the General Appropriations bill) which was up for third and final reading, when Representative Raoul Manuel attempted to make his manifestation.

He wanted to question President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s move to certify as urgent the spending plan, when there was no public calamity or emergency that warranted the move – two criteria stated in the Constitution.

A certification allows Congress to pass the bill on third reading right after it was approved on second reading, bypassing a constitutional requirement for a measure to undergo three readings on three separate days.

Less than a minute into the speech, Deputy Majority Leader Marlyn Primicias-Agabas cut Manuel off, and the two started talking over each other.

“The chairman rules that the point of the gentleman, Representative Manuel, is out of order,” Primicias-Agabas said.

While Manuel was still speaking, Primicias-Agabas called the attention of the deputy speaker who was presiding, Ilocos Sur 2nd District Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan.

The presiding official recognized Primicias-Agabas even while Manuel was still speaking.

Primicias-Agabas countered Manuel’s point of order by saying that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had certified the bill as urgent.

“Madam Speaker there is already a certification coming from the Office of the President. I think the Minority…” Primicias-Agabas said.