Old law makes Congress’ power of purse ‘inutile’

A PRESIDENTIAL DECREE issued by former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1977 allows the Chief Executive to impound the budget and stop any expenditure authorized by the General Appropriations Act (GAA), according to Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

Believing that provisions of the old law render Congress’ power of the purse “inutile,” Rodriguez said three provisions of Presidential Decree (PD) 1177 should be removed because these are “vestiges of a martial law regime.”