Ledger and Liturgy: Bardagulan in the Budgetary White Cube — Curating Corruption, Care, and the Aesthetics of Fiscal Truth
Ledger and Liturgy: Bardagulan in the Budgetary White Cube — Curating Corruption, Care, and the Aesthetics of Fiscal Truth Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™ May 7, 2026 President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. publicly called former President Rodrigo Duterte a liar over claims of “blank items” in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), asserting he reviewed the 4,057‑page law and found no blanks; yet multiple investigations and reporting point to ballooning unprogrammed appropriations, padded flood‑control budgets, stalled projects, and allegations of “ghost” works that complicate the binary of truth and falsehood. Confirm details with primary documents (DBM GAA text) and ongoing congressional probes. --- Framing the Question The rhetorical duel—“Who’s the liar?”—is less a forensic binary than a contest over institutional transparency, procedural responsibility, and political narrative control. Marcos’s categorical denial rests on procedural authority (he signed and vetoed parts of the GAA and cla...