SENATORS and the Palace on Thursday rejected Vice President Sara Duterte’s suggestions that the proposed 2027 national budget could be used to pressure senator-judges in her impeachment trial to vote to convict her.
Reacting to her statement, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Duterte’s allegation cast unfair doubt on lawmakers who have consistently defended the integrity of the national budget and opposed pork barrel allocations.
“A sweeping statement from no less than the country’s second-highest official is unfair to those of us who have consistently upheld the integrity of the national budget and served as its vanguards,” Lacson said.
“In all my years as a senator, I have never succumbed to the allure of pork barrel, in whatever shape and form. On the contrary, I have consistently opposed and fought against it,” he added.
On Wednesday, Duterte raised concerns over what she described as allegations of “cash distribution and political maneuvering” surrounding the proposed 2027 national budget.
In a social media post, she questioned whether the spending plan was being used to serve the Filipino people or had instead become “a bargaining chip” to pressure senator-judges handling her impeachment trial.
Her remarks came as the Senate prepares to deliberate on the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, amid scrutiny of changes to agency appropriations, infrastructure spending and lawmakers’ proposed allocations.
The budget deliberations are taking place alongside Duterte’s impeachment proceedings, in which the Senate serves as the impeachment court.
Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III, meanwhile, assured the public that the Senate would not allow the proposed 2027 national budget to be used to influence votes in the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte.
Sotto said senators were closely scrutinizing the proposed budget and were raising critical questions about how it would be deliberated on and approved by the chamber.
“We will not allow that. The budget is one thing, and the impeachment is another,” Sotto told reporters when asked whether the spending plan could be used to sway senator-judges.
“If I could share with you the exchanges in our Senate members’ group chats, you would see that they are very critical and very concerned about how the 2027 budget will be brought into or passed by the Senate,” he added.
Sotto said the Senate would exercise greater caution and transparency in handling the spending plan to prevent allegations of political maneuvering or the use of public funds to influence decisions.
He pointed out that budget proceedings have been livestreamed since last year.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo on Thursday brushed off allegations that the budget is being used to exert political pressure on senator-judges, urging critics and observers to refrain from preempting the outcome of the ongoing impeachment trial.
Speaking to reporters, Tulfo emphasized that no such pressure exists within the chamber, pointing out that formal deliberations and voting on the matter have not even begun.
“There is no such pressure to vote. Besides, there is no voting yet because the proceedings are far from over,” Tulfo said.
Addressing statements from Vice President Duterte’s camp accusing the administration of attempting to influence the tribunal, Tulfo noted that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but reiterated that the trial must run its course.
“That’s her opinion. Everyone has their own view, and if that’s what she thinks, there’s nothing we can do,” Tulfo added. “Why would anyone use the 2027 budget to exert pressure when the hearings aren’t finished? We haven’t even discussed that. Why say the 2027 budget is being used as a bargaining chip?” Tulfo also refuted online reports claiming that lawmakers have already discussed replacing Duterte with House Speaker Faustino Dy III, calling such rumors speculative and premature.
“Where did that even come from? Good for them, they’re moving fast,” Tulfo remarked sarcastically regarding the media reports. “There is no such talk among lawmakers. How could we even start talking about that? It sounds as though people are so certain the Senate will impeach the vice president. I really don’t know where they got that.” Expressing frustration over rumors that presume an outcome, Tulfo stressed that senator-judges have yet to reach a verdict. “What’s frustrating is when people pre-judge the senator-judges before a decision has even been made.” Rebuffing criticisms regarding the prosecution’s decision to withdraw all but one article of impeachment, Tulfo suggested that the move could actually work in favor of the defense.
“That’s actually an advantage for the defense because there is now only one article left to defend,” Tulfo said. “It’s easier to defend one article rather than three or four. Instead of complaining that it’s unfair, you only have to defend one charge now. Who knows? The person might end up acquitted because they no longer have to fight off three separate charges.” The House prosecution panel dropped three of the four impeachment articles and opted to focus on Article II, which covers allegations of unexplained wealth and irregularities in Duterte’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).
Palace hits back
Malacañang slammed Duterte’s allegation that the 2027 national budget will be used as a “bargaining chip” to pressure senator-judges and members of Congress to support her conviction.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro reiterated her earlier statement that the vice president is quick to point fingers but fails to provide facts.
She also reiterated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s earlier statement that any allegations made against the administration should be backed by evidence.
Castro noted that the national budget is currently under legislative scrutiny and suggested that Duterte directly observe the bicameral conference proceedings to understand how public funds are allocated transparently.
“So, if she has doubts regarding this budget—and we know that the budget is currently in the hands of Congress—then perhaps, instead of casting aspersions on the impeachment court, it would be better for her to participate in the Bicameral Conference Committee,” Castro said.
Castro stressed that monitoring the budget process would help Duterte understand “where the budget goes and how it is spent, ensuring it does not end up in the pockets of a few corrupt individuals in government.”
Budget for impeachment enough
Meanwhile, Lacson also said the remaining P11 million allocated for Duterte’s impeachment trial would be enough to cover the proceedings, noting that only one of the four impeachment articles remained under consideration.
Lacson, a senator-judge and chairman of the Senate Committee on Accounts, said slightly more than P14 million had been spent from the P25.7-million continuing appropriation under the 2025 General Appropriations Act for the trial, based on figures cited by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
“The remaining funds will be enough because only one article remains, and the defense still has to make its presentation. The proceedings will not take much longer, and there may even be savings,” Lacson said in an interview on radio dzBB.
He made the remarks after disputing claims by Duterte’s spokesperson, Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., that about P500 million had been “wasted” on the impeachment trial, urging him to correct his estimate.
Lacson said Panelo may have made an honest mistake, explaining that the roughly P25 million in daily expenses referred to the Senate’s regular operating costs as a legislative body, not the cost of the impeachment proceedings.
The senator also said the National Bureau of Investigation’s latest findings on properties allegedly linked to Duterte could not be considered by the impeachment court because they were not part of the evidence presented during the trial.
While the prosecution had presented Duterte’s SALNs and evidence concerning some of her properties, the NBI’s more recent findings fell outside the scope of the proceedings, he said.
“These new findings presented by the NBI were not covered by the trial, so they will not be included in our consideration,” Lacson said in a separate interview on radio dzMM.
He said any additional evidence uncovered by the NBI would be for the Office of the Ombudsman to assess in connection with possible criminal proceedings.
The NBI earlier referred its findings on properties allegedly linked to Duterte to the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice.
Duterte has denied owning a lot that the NBI linked to her SALN and questioned the bureau’s use of public funds for the investigation.
The Senate impeachment court is expected to continue hearing the case, with the defense set to present its evidence on the remaining article.
