THE decision of the Supreme Court declaring as unconstitutional some provisions of the 2024 and 2025 General Appropriations Acts (GAAs) reinforces the need for transparency and accountability in the allocation and use of public funds, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said on Wednesday.
In a statement, Tiangco said the high tribunal’s findings on insufficient documentation of bicameral budget changes, broad spending discretion, and fiscal safeguards echoed concerns he had repeatedly raised in Congress.
“We have long fought for the public to know clearly where every peso from their taxes goes. There cannot be changes to the budget without a clear explanation and accountability,” he said in Filipino.
He recalled seeking to reopen plenary deliberations on the House of Representatives’ budget to allow greater scrutiny of its expenditures, but his motion was denied.
He also voted against the proposed 2027 national budget, citing concerns over transparency, accountability and the efficient use of government resources.
“If we in Congress demand transparency and accountability from other government agencies, we should be ready to submit to the same standards. We cannot be the ones making the budget and also be the ones refusing to explain,” Tiangco said.
The lawmaker also said the ruling was particularly relevant to investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control spending.
“What happened in the flood control scandal is a clear reminder of why transparency in budget-making matters. When it is unclear who inserted the funds, where they were allocated and how they were spent, opportunities arise for abuse and corruption,” he said.
Tiangco likewise criticized the transfer of foreign-assisted projects to unprogrammed appropriations, which he said contributed to the latter’s ballooning.
“We have long said that foreign-assisted projects are being moved to Unprogrammed Appropriations to create room in Programmed Appropriations that can be monetized through the sale of projects. That is why Unprogrammed Appropriations ballooned. This is not a simple budget change but a system designed to create opportunities to steal from public coffers,” he said.
“This is not just a matter of procedure. This is the people’s money. Every peso lost to corruption or wasted through improper spending is money that should have gone to better services, infrastructure, education and assistance for our people,” he added.
He renewed his call for open budget deliberations, transparent bicameral proceedings, stricter scrutiny of discretionary funds, and greater accountability in government spending.
“The budget should not be an instrument of power or personal interest. It should be an instrument to improve the lives of every Filipino. And we cannot achieve that without transparency and accountability.”
