Primary Legislative Defender of the 2025 GAA During the "Blank Items" Controversy

Description: Following her appointment as the Acting Chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations in January 2025, Rep. Quimbo became the primary defender of the P6.35-trillion 2025 national budget. Controversy erupted when critics and former lawmakers revealed that the ratified Bicameral Conference Committee report contained "blank items" spanning several pages, primarily affecting agriculture and unprogrammed funds. Quimbo publicly confirmed the existence of these blanks in the bicameral report but defended the budget's legality. She asserted that the blanks were administrative placeholders, that the final enrolled bill submitted to the President was 100% complete, and that the bicameral committee had explicitly authorized technical secretariats to implement adjustments. Key Outcomes & Ongoing Actions: As a direct result of her role and defense of the budget process, Quimbo, along with other House leaders, was named as a respondent in a graft and falsification complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman in February 2025. Furthermore, the Supreme Court formally ordered Quimbo and her technical working group to appear at oral arguments to defend the constitutionality of the 2025 GAA and explain the bicameral report process.

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