BY THE PRESIDENT’S own admission, the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) is tainted with budget insertions, for which members of the House of Representatives hinted at the idea of returning the “package” back to the sender.
Citing systematic anomalies undermining transparency and accountability, Deputy House Speaker Ronie Puno urged Malacañang to recall and revise the proposed P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget, even as he claimed
Puno said the irregularities uncovered during their initial budget review were too serious to be ignored.
PH UNDER WATER
These findings, he noted, reflect the very issues flagged in the “Philippines Under Water” probe — ranging from template allocations to questionable lump sum entries, raising an alarm over potential fund misuse.
“We cannot, in good conscience, begin deliberations on a national budget riddled with questionable allocations,” Puno declared. “The House owes it to the Filipino people to ensure that every peso is allocated properly, transparently, and free of corruption. At this point, the 2026 NEP falls short of that standard.”
Joining Puno in the rare collective stance were Deputy Speakers Janette Garin (Lakas-CMD) and Bambi Emano (Nacionalista Party), along with Reps. Mark Enverga (NPC), Eleandro Jesus “Budoy” Madrona (NP), Manila Rep. Rolan Valeriano (NUP), and Jose Alvarez (NPC).
GRAFT PATTERN
House leaders detailed a troubling pattern of irregularities across key agencies:
- DPWH Flood-Control Projects: Identical allocations amounting to tens of billions of pesos, raising suspicions of “copy-paste” budgeting.
- Double Appropriations: Line items funding projects that had already been completed.
- Opaque Lump Sums: Oversized nationwide allocations under DPWH that weaken accountability.
- Unsolicited Firearms Proposals: Reports of billions worth of DILG/PNP requests not part of the President’s original budget submission.
- Allocation-for-Sale in Agriculture: Alleged schemes involving farm-to-market road projects under the DA.
“These are not isolated mistakes,” the House leaders said in a joint statement. “They reflect deeper flaws in the way the budget was crafted. Before Congress can deliberate responsibly, the Executive must first correct and clean up these provisions.”
ACCOUNTABILITY
The House bloc urged Cabinet officials — specifically the secretaries of DPWH, DBM, DA, and DILG, along with the PNP chief — to explain directly to the President and to the public how such questionable provisions slipped through the budget drafting process.
“We respect the President’s vision of a Bagong Pilipinas, but that vision cannot be achieved if his Cabinet submits a budget that invites corruption and mismanagement,” part of the joint statement reads.
STANDING FIRM
The House leadership emphasized that Congress is ready to pass a credible, people-centered national budget once Malacañang resubmits a corrected version.
“The House of the People stands firm: no budget riddled with anomalies will pass under our watch. Our constitutional power of the purse exists precisely to safeguard the hard-earned money of the Filipino taxpayer. That is a duty we will never abandon,” the statement concluded.