• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said yesterday that as the people have spoken against corruption during the rallies, it is now the turn of Congress to do its part in ensuring transparency and real reforms in the budget.
“The rallies we saw (on Sunday) and in previous days show our people’s deep and growing frustration with corruption. They are a loud call for honesty, accountability, and reform,” Benitez, who recently joined the majority bloc, said in a statement.
He added: “As the Congress begins deliberations on the national budget, we must take that message to the heart. As an independent voice of the House, I will continue to scrutinize this budget with a ‘critical eye’”.
Benitez said that he “cannot allow insertions and questionable projects to pass unnoticed” and “must make sure that what the House approves will serve the public good, and not private interests”.
“Our people have already done their part by taking to the parliament of the streets. Now, it is our turn to do our part inside the halls of Congress,” the Bacolod lawmaker said.
He further said that “transparency in the budget process ensures that every peso goes where it truly matters, free from hidden anomalies or questionable practices”. | GB
