Rappler's latest stories on GAA
Pope Francis names Roberto Gaa as bishop of Novaliches
Novaliches Bishop-elect Roberto Gaa is set to replace Antonio Tobias, who is past the retirement age of 75

Paolo Duterte's resignation letter sent to Malacañang, says Mayor Sara
Authorities in Davao raise the death toll in the tragic NCCC Mall fire to 38

Duterte signs P3.8-trillion 2018 national budget into law
President Rodrigo Duterte green-lights a 2018 budget that prioritizes infrastructure development and education

What's the share of gov't offices in the 2018 P3.8-T national budget?
(3rd UPDATE) The 2018 national budget indicates the priorities of the Duterte administration, with infrastructure, education, and the interior affairs sectors gaining the most

Congress ratifies P3.767-trillion national budget for 2018
Funds for anti-drug campaigns – the DILG's Masa Masid and the PNP's Oplan Double Barrel – are scrapped

P24B in salary hike awaits qualified gov't workers in 2018
The government allots P24 billion for the 3rd tranche of the Salary Standardization Law to be out by January 2018, budget chief Benjamin Diokno says

House ends committee hearings on P3.8-trillion 2018 budget
Plenary debates on the proposed 2018 national budget begin on September 4

House approval of P3.8-T 2018 budget eyed mid-September
First to defend their proposed budget before lawmakers are the DBM NEDA DOF and BSP

'Build, build, build' gets a third of proposed 2018 national budget
The government s infrastructure program will get P1 097 trillion in 2018 or 6 3 of the GDP

Education, infra to get bulk of proposed 2018 nat'l budget
The second national budget crafted under the Duterte administration the proposed P3 77 trillion budget is 12 4 higher than last year

Martial Law, Marawi attack, Donald Trump and Pope Francis | Evening wRap
Watch Rappler s evening newscast with Chay Hofileña

5 regional airports removed from PPP pipeline
UPDATED It is back to zero for the development of 5 small airports in Bacolod Davao Iloilo Laguindingan and Bohol A prospective bidder feels embarrassed and dismayed over what has happened

Lacson 'confused' about pork in 2017 budget – Nograles
The chairman of the House committee on appropriations insists only specific line item projects identified by government agencies can be found in the approved 2017 budget

Duterte vetoes direct income spending by gov't agencies
President Rodrigo Duterte says the era of budget credibility has begun unlike in the past where the budget was vulnerable and open to abuse

17th Congress bids 2016 goodbye with 2 laws passed
UPDATED In 6 months Congress passes 2 laws: postponement of the barangay elections and the P3 35 trillion 2017 budget

House ratifies proposed P3.35T budget for 2017
Congressmen have wanted to allocate P8 5B for development projects in the ARMM but concede to senators wishes to give the amount to CHED instead

6 bills passed on final reading as House adjourns session
Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas commends his colleagues for a truly productive session The House of Representatives resumes session on November 7

Senate adjourns session with 1 bill approved on final reading
The Senate is set to resume on November 7 and is expected to focus on the passage of the 2017 budget and the emergency powers to solve the traffic crisis

House approves P3.35 trillion 2017 budget
The Lower House restores the budget cuts made against state colleges and universities as well government hospitals

2017 budget: House passes proposed P3.35T on 2nd reading
Minority Leader Danilo Suarez is concerned how the proposed budget would be spent by the Duterte administration which is so focused on the war on drugs

DOF looks to formalize PH's AIIB membership this year
In its proposed P21 3 billion budget for 2017 the DOF sets aside funds for joining the AIIB and for having attachés to China and Japan to monitor trade

Proposed P3.35-trillion 2017 budget reaches House plenary
The House of Representatives will hold plenary deliberations until October 7

Ombudsman questions DBM: Why not allow us to use savings?
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno clarifies that the Office of the Ombudsman may use its savings but it is time bound

Diokno on 2017 budget: No cap for lawmakers' pet projects
The budget secretary says they will consider when congressmen identify specific projects which are consistent with the desire of the President for the development of the countryside

Advocates on RH budget cut: 'We've let our guard down'
Former Albay representative Edcel Lagman is suspicious of what happened at the bicameral conference committee on the 2016 budget where the budget cut was made

DOH may have to divert family health fund to purchase contraceptives
Health Secretary Janette Garin explains how the justifications for the P1 billion reproductive health budget cut by senators Legarda and Sotto don t add up

What happened to the 2016 budget for contraceptives?
Senators say one reason for the P1 billion budget cut is the Supreme Court order prohibiting the DOH from granting any pending application for reproductive health commodities

Bicam OKs P3-T budget for 2016
Congress leaders expect President Benigno Aquino III to sign the proposed 2016 budget before Christmas

Bulk of CHED's proposed 2016 budget for K to 12 transition
P8 28 billion in the Commission on Education s proposed budget will be used to assist college workers affected by K to 12 adjustments among other purposes

DBM: Lacson’s DAP, lump sum claims ‘inaccurate’
This comes after former Senator Panfilo Lacson alleges that lump sums amounting to at least P424 billion are still present in the 2015 budget

Infrastructure investments to increase 4% of GDP in 2015
The Department of Budget and Management says it has released P2 trillion or 78 of the 2015 budget to address procurement and implementation delays

Lawmakers question DSWD's conditional cash transfer program
Members of Congress grill Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman over her agency s 2015 budget

Int'l research project in limbo, not in CHED's 2015 budget
The Philippine California Advance Research Institute project is halted causing the Commission on Higher Education s proposed 2015 budget to decrease by almost half to P3 56B

Stop making budget adjustments behind closed doors – Angara
Senator Juan Edgardo Angara wants clear standards in realigning savings while Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto wants an itemized status reports on projects funded the past year

Abad: Redefined savings in 2015 budget 'cures' SC DAP ruling
The proposed 2015 General Appropriations Act seeks to allow the president to declare as savings funds for projects that have not started by mid year and to realign such funds

Highlights: Leonen's opinion on the DAP
Leonen emphasizes the importance of the judiciary s fiscal autonomy saying that its annual submission of expenditures is not meant for approval

Gov't seeks reversal of SC ruling on DAP
Government lawyers argue that the good intent of accelerating spending for economic growth shows the administration s good faith

Highlights: Carpio's separate opinion on DAP
UPDATED The most senior magistrate in the High Court writes: This Court cannot allow a castration of a vital part of the checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution even if the branch adversely affected suicidally consents to it

Understanding the SC ruling on the DAP
What are the main points and highlights of the Supreme Court decision on the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program?

The DAP decision: Lessons on politics, governance
We submit unsolicited but hopefully useful advice for the administration to tone down the self righteous defensiveness
Ombudsman to probe DAP offenses
Ombudsman Morales says she is keen on creating a panel of field investigators to conduct the probe

Rehab funds carry 'do not plunder' warning
This is the first time a provision of this nature is incorporated into the national budget
Why Enrile, Estrada cannot escape public accountability
Senators Enrile and Estrada if you are not responsible for making sure our resources are used for the common good what are you in power for?
Senator wants bicam budget debate on Facebook, Twitter
Senator Cayetano says social media will allow immediate feedback from netizens while the two chambers of Congress reconcile their versions of the budget bill
SC junks PDAF as unconstitutional
4th UPDATE Voting unanimously 14 justices decide against the pork barrel system
Senate determined to abolish PDAF - Drilon
Sen Franklin Drilon reacts to Justice Antonio Carpio s opinion that the PDAF can only be abolished if Congress passes a law to amend it or if the Supreme Court declares it unconstitutional
PDAF case a test for Aquino appointees
CJ Sereno defends the President’s use of “incentives” to push legislative agenda
Recto to DBM: Where’s P130-B Malampaya fund?
The Senate Pro Tempore doesn t buy the budget department s claim that there s no cash left of the royalties He s calling for an accounting of the fund for the fourth straight year
Abolish pork: The data speaks for itself
It’s entirely possible that PDAF has indeed worsened regional inequalities over the years thanks to the culture of impunity and corruption it has brought with it
Budget directive to agencies: no projects list, no funds
House Appropriations Committee Chair Jun Abaya says the administration is moving toward almost line item budgeting by 2013