NAVOTAS CITY Rep. Toby Tiangco said on Wednesday that he voted against the proposed 2027 national budget, citing a lack of committee deliberations on the House of Representatives' budget, an unexplained P5-billion increase in its allocation, and the rejection of amendments seeking greater transparency in public spending.
Interviewed by The Manila Times via Viber, Tiangco said the lower chamber failed to follow the constitutional requirement that its appropriations be approved using the same procedure applied to other government departments and agencies.
He said the House budget bypassed committee deliberations and was brought directly to the plenary.
The veteran legislator also questioned the sudden change in the budget hearing schedule, saying lawmakers were notified through an email sent at 2:05 a.m. that the House budget would be taken up at 10 a.m. that same day.
He added that his request to reopen the deliberations was denied, even though a similar request was granted for the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
“If we demand transparency and accountability from other government agencies, we should be prepared to apply the same standards to ourselves,” said Tiangco.
He likewise questioned the reported P5 billion, or 28.37 percent, increase in the House budget, saying there was no clear explanation of how the additional funds would be used.
Tiangco said lawmakers had yet to receive a complete record identifying which government agencies had their allocations reduced or increased, the amounts involved, and the reasons for the adjustments.
During the period for individual amendments, Tiangco said he proposed requiring the publication of the House's budget utilization, including the amounts allocated, paid or spent for each member of the chamber.
He also sought mandatory disclosure of Department of Public Works and Highways projects in every congressional district, including projects requested or proposed by district representatives and party-list lawmakers.
Both amendments were rejected, he lamented, as he explained that the proposals would allow the public to scrutinize how taxpayers' money is spent.
“What is the House of Representatives afraid to make public?” he said.
He argued that transparency should protect the institution's integrity by enabling the public to distinguish legitimate expenditures from spending that warrants scrutiny.
Tiangco said public accountability should be mandatory for all officials entrusted with public funds and should not depend on the preferences of those controlling government allocations.
“We cannot demand accountability from the executive branch if we refuse to apply the same standards to ourselves,” he said.