MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan urged lawmakers to disclose the details and supporting documents for lump-sum unprogrammed appropriations in the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget before its approval, warning against leaving crucial spending information until the bicameral conference committee negotiations.
He also pushed for greater public participation in budget deliberations and the livestreaming of bicameral proceedings, saying Filipinos must be able to scrutinize how lawmakers allocate taxpayers’ money.
Pangilinan said the Senate must ensure that the proposed spending plan prioritizes programs and services that address the needs of ordinary Filipinos, particularly in food security, agriculture, education, health and disaster preparedness.
He highlighted the role of civil society organizations, including the People’s Budget Coalition, in scrutinizing allocations and helping flag potential irregularities in the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
“We will make sure that we come up with our own version, and you are right that the People’s Budget Coalition is working with the Senate Committee on Finance in scrutinizing the budget. Public participation is important,” Pangilinan said in an interview with Bilyonaryo News Channel.
“We are very thankful that they are there,” the senator added.
As chair of Subcommittee G of the Senate Committee on Finance for the deliberations on the 2027 General Appropriations Act (GAA), Pangilinan said the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring certain unprogrammed appropriations in the 2024 and 2025 national budgets unconstitutional would guide the Senate’s review of the proposed allocations.
He said lawmakers must closely examine the conditions for releasing unprogrammed funds and ensure that the requirements for their use are clearly defined and supported by proper documentation.
Pangilinan questioned the prospect of details for lump-sum allocations being submitted only at a later stage of the budget process, saying the supporting documents should ideally be complete before the budget is approved.
“To be fair, we will give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they are still completing the documentation, but ideally, everything should have been documented before the budget was approved,” he said.
“Perhaps, for one reason or another, some of them are saying they will include the details during the bicameral conference committee proceedings,” he added, referring to negotiations between the Senate and the House of Representatives to reconcile their respective versions of the budget.
Pangilinan called for the livestreaming of bicameral conference committee proceedings, as was done during previous budget deliberations, to allow the public to follow how lawmakers resolve differences in their spending proposals.
He also urged lawmakers to disclose agreements reached during closed-door discussions to strengthen transparency and accountability in the final stages of the budget process.
“The public and people’s organizations must be involved in scrutinizing the budget to ensure transparency. We should not make the process opaque, where the public cannot see what is happening or how decisions are being made,” Pangilinan said.
