Ben Madilynn
DAVAO City Third District Representative Isidro Ungab has expressed concerns about perceived discrimination in the House of Representatives against lawmakers allied with the Duterte family.
“Well, outside the kulambo gyud ang Davao, not only Davao Region. We don’t have the luxury of having special projects. Kanang gitawag og over and above (Well, Davao is really left out, not just the Davao Region. We don’t get the luxury of special projects or those ‘over and above’ allocations),” Ungab said in an ambush interview during the filing of his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Davao City on Sunday afternoon, October 6, 2024.
The lawmaker mentioned that budget allocations for projects in his district are limited and do not include additional perks or privileges.
“When you say you have additional projects, additional perks or privileges, wala gyud (there’s nothing),” he added.
Ungab, along with Sagip party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta, was one of the lawmakers who pushed for the House Appropriations Committee to skip budget deliberations for Vice President Sara Duterte, a courtesy she was granted during her first two years in office. This practice was also extended to the Office of the President.
Ungab sponsored the proposed P2,026,357,000 budget allocation for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under the 2025 National Expenditures Program (NEP).
However, the OVP’s proposed P2-billion budget for 2025 was at risk of being slashed, or potentially defunded, after Duterte declined to answer questions from the House Committee on Appropriations. Despite this, Duterte stated that her office is prepared to continue operations without a budget from the National Government.
Ungab acknowledged a disparity in budget allocations between lawmakers aligned with House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the cousin of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and those who are not.
“Sa tinuod lang, kung buot hunahunaon, if you want projects easily, if you want to be in with the group, just join with the majority, with the administration (Honestly, if you want projects easily, you just join the majority and align with the administration),” he added.
Ungab said that although the situation doesn’t trouble him, he will continue to work alongside fellow House members. However, he emphasized that when his principles are at stake, he feels compelled to speak up, drawing on his extensive experience in budgeting to address any issues he perceives as problematic.
Ungab, the author of the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA) law, also expressed concern that the Marcos administration is unlikely to prioritize its implementation. He has been monitoring the progress of the MDDA since it was signed into law by former president Rodrigo Duterte on April 13, 2022, just months before he left office.
Ungab suggested that political factors, particularly the tension between the Dutertes and Marcoses, are contributing to delays in the MDDA’s implementation.
He filed his COC on Thursday, October 3, 2024, seeking re-election for the same position. RGL
