The Senate will not allow the reenactment in 2026 of the 2025 national budget that has been described as corrupt to the core, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson said.
The veteran legislator said this is why the Senate is adopting measures to ensure transparency in the deliberations on the budget bill, including the livestreaming of the bicameral conference committee.
“If the 2025 budget is reenacted, we will see large lump sum appropriations coming from a 2025 budget that has had so many problems.”
“Passing the 2026 budget bill is important. Without it, we may have a reenacted budget, and we will not allow that. If the 2025 budget is reenacted, we will see large lump sum appropriations coming from a 2025 budget that has had so many problems,” the seasoned lawmaker said in Filipino in an interview on DWIZ radio.
Lacson, an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget, pointed out that the Senate had to adjust the schedule of its deliberations after issues cropped up during the deliberations.
The senator cited the extension of the deliberations on the general principles of the budget from one day to three days – as well as the issues raised during the deliberation of the budget of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
“Many anomalies were bared in the deliberation of the NIA’s budget so they need to be returned. These are unforeseen circumstances,” he noted.
But Lacson said there is a chance that the reforms they adopted – including the livestreaming of the bicameral conference committee and the disallowing of “alien” items – could speed up the process because it will discourage insertions to the bill.
“The best reform introduced so far is that the bicam will not allow the insertion of any item that is not in the Senate or House version.”
“The best reform introduced so far is that the bicam will not allow the insertion of any item that is not in the Senate or House version. This way, we will simplify and even possibly shorten the proceedings as there will be no more insertions or dealings,” he concluded.
