NO LAWMAKER will be spared scrutiny in the Senate's review of the proposed 2027 national budget, as senators correct questionable allocations and budget insertions, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said.
Lacson said he and fellow members in the Senate majority bloc fully support Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. JV Ejercito in raising red flags in the House-approved version of the proposed General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“Our attitude now is to go gung-ho. If anyone gets hit, so be it,” he said in an interview with One News.
Asked whether the scrutiny would cover the biggest net increase in public works allocations for the congressional district of presidential son and Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos in the House-approved budget, Lacson replied: “Yes, absolutely.”
“If we make exceptions, many will ask for exceptions, and we won't succeed because there will be plea bargaining,” he said.
The Senate is scheduled to resume plenary sessions on Nov. 9, when debates on the proposed 2027 budget will begin.
Lacson said he had submitted his subcommittee reports on the proposed budgets of government agencies assigned to him, which are now being reviewed by the Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO).
“Once the plenary sessions resume, the LBRMO would have finished its review, and we can introduce amendments to restore the changes the House made to its version of the General Appropriations Bill,” he said.
Lacson expressed confidence that questionable insertions would not find their way into the Senate version of the budget, citing the sentiments of his colleagues in the majority bloc.
“In the Senate, I don't know if someone sneaked in funds for pet projects, but I don't think so. When we in the majority bloc chat, I can feel my colleagues' sentiments,” he said.
The Senate may invite civil society organizations (CSOs), particularly budget advocacy groups, to observe the bicameral conference committee proceedings and expose lawmakers who attempt to insert questionable allocations, he said.
He said he had challenged budget watchdogs to be prepared to sit through lengthy deliberations so they could witness the proceedings firsthand.
“We must not just be vigilant. We may have to resort to shaming because there are those who are shameless in making insertions, and we are still reeling from the flood control scandal,” Lacson said.
The country, he added, needs a fundamental overhaul of its budget process to curb political patronage and ensure that government allocations reflect the actual needs and priorities of local government units (LGUs).
He lamented that political affiliations appeared to influence budget allocations, with administration allies receiving larger funding while lawmakers in the minority were given little or nothing.
He cited instances when contractors for infrastructure projects appeared to have been predetermined even before the contracts were awarded.
“In Taguig, for example, before the contract is awarded, the contractor is already known. This is a matter of record. The evidence is with the Ombudsman,” he said.
Lacson likewise raised concerns over the continued issuance of guarantee letters (GLs), despite provisions in the 2026 GAA banning it.
“We need a re-engineering of the budget. We cannot have more of the same. Up to now there are guarantee letters even if the 2026 GAA banned them. These may be residues of past budgets. But I know congressmen who still offer GLs,” he said.
He said reforms should begin with the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), which prepares the government's proposed spending program, to prevent questionable insertions from entering the National Expenditure Program (NEP) even before it reaches Congress.
The proposed 2027 budget amounts to P7.2 trillion, about P407 billion or 6 percent higher than the 2026 budget.
The House of Representatives approved its version of the General Appropriations Bill on third and final reading on Oct. 12, incorporating about P116 billion in amendments.
The Senate is conducting its own review before the two chambers reconcile their respective versions in the bicameral conference committee.
The bicameral stage is critical because lawmakers from both chambers settle differences in their respective budget proposals before submitting the final version for ratification and presidential approval.
Ejercito said opening the bicameral proceedings to public observation would build on the transparency measures adopted by the Senate Finance Committee throughout its budget review.
“All Senate Finance Committee budget hearings were livestreamed, which allowed the public to follow agency deliberations in real time,” he said.
The committee held a dedicated hearing for CSOs on Oct. 26.
Ejercito welcomed the groups’ calls to remove budget insertions without technical justification and restore funding cuts to foreign-assisted infrastructure projects, disaster preparedness and preventive health programs.
The push for closer scrutiny comes amid concerns raised by budget watchdogs over the details and locations of some proposed projects.
The House Appropriations Committee has said the bicameral conference could still address reported discrepancies in farm-to-market road project coordinates, including locations allegedly pointing to bodies of water.
Ejercito said public participation should extend beyond congressional hearings to citizens' access to budget information and tools for scrutinizing government spending.
The committee has incorporated digital tools developed by civil society groups, including independent research organization BetterGov.ph, into the Senate’s budget transparency portal (https://budget-transparency-portal.senate.gov.ph).
Through the portal, citizens can review agency budget documents, submit position papers and flag allocations they consider questionable.
“Transparency is not just a policy statement; it is an active mechanism. These tools were built by watchdogs themselves, and we are glad to give them a home on the Senate website so ordinary citizens can scrutinize where public funds are going,” Ejercito said.
