MANILA, Philippines — The Senate majority bloc is united in stripping the proposed P7.2 trillion 2027 national budget of questionable and corruption-prone allocations, including projects inserted by lawmakers without proper vetting, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said.
Lacson said on Monday the majority, including himself, backed efforts to weed out unwarranted allocations and ensure transparency at every stage of the budget-making process.
“The majority of senators are rallying behind Senate Finance Committee Chairman JV Ejercito’s efforts to cleanse the 2027 budget of unwarranted, whimsical, and corruption-prone items. — ALL MEANS ALL!” Lacson said in a social media post.
Over the weekend, Ejercito secured a commitment from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to remove infrastructure projects without complete supporting documents from the House-approved budget bill before plenary debates, unless the agency submits the required documents by Nov. 3.
Budget advocacy groups earlier cited the lack of supporting documents as one of the red flags in the House version of the proposed spending measure, warning that projects without clear documentation and proper justification could become vehicles for questionable spending.
A Senate review found that the number of DPWH projects had increased from 11,420 in the National Expenditure Program, the executive branch's original spending proposal, to 16,244 in the House-transmitted General Appropriations Bill.
Of these, 6,271 projects were introduced by lawmakers without prior vetting by the executive branch, raising questions about how the additional infrastructure allocations were selected, evaluated and justified.
Ejercito also announced that civil society organizations would be invited to observe the bicameral conference committee deliberations on the budget, where the Senate and House of Representatives reconcile their respective versions of the spending measure. The proceedings would also be livestreamed to allow the public to monitor discussions and proposed changes.
The transparency measures are part of broader efforts to prevent the return of questionable budget practices, particularly the insertion of projects and allocations outside the regular planning and evaluation process.
