Angela Buenavidez

Presidential son and Ilocos rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Macros moved the motion to declare the position of chairperson of the committee of appropriations vacant in a recent plenary session.

Photo Courtesy of GMA Network/Philippine Star.

This motion removes Ako Bikol party-list representative Elizaldy Co as the chairperson of the committee of appropriations.

A plenary session at the House of Representatives occured on January 13 citing this change.

Co later reveals he is stepping down due to “pressing health concerns he must attend to” in a statement an hour adter the session.

“As the proud sponsor and shepherd of the budgets for 2023, 2024, and 2025, I ensured alignment with the President’s eight-point economic agenda”, he said.

The representative added that he is “deeply honored to have been entrusted with the immense responsibility of steering the nation’s budget in service of the House of the people and the constituents we represent”.

Along with the 2023 and 2024 national budgets, he oversaw the 2025 budget, which drew backlash over budget cuts for needed services, and funding for pork barrel-deemed items.

The House Committee on Appropriations takes part in the national budget through hearings on the budget allocation of government departments and agencies.

Co has also defended the allotted P26 billion for the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), a program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently.

Co has been the appropriations panel chief since July 2022. 

No replacements for Co were announced during the session.