THE head of the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday said he would not allow “leadership funds” or last-minute budget insertions in the 2027 national budget, following the testimony of a former Public Works secretary that P24 billion had been earmarked for lawmakers in 2024.
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” G. Ejercito, who heads the committee, said he would continue transparency measures implemented under Senate President Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who previously chaired the Finance committee, including the Budget Transparency Portal, livestreaming of bicameral budget discussions and public hearings with civil society groups.
“As far as we are concerned, there will be no leadership fund,” Mr. Ejercito told reporters in Filipino.
He said budget insertions and amendments would only be allowed during plenary deliberations and that “secret” bicameral sessions would not be permitted.
Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson has called for the abolition of “allocables,” describing them as a “worse version” of the abolished pork barrel system because they allow lawmakers to propose budget insertions.
“It added another layer that provided legislators an opportunity to make budget insertions even during the preparation phase of the national budget, or before the National Expenditure Program is transmitted to Congress for deliberations by both chambers,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Lacson said budget changes are normal when they involve institutional needs, such as transferring excess funds from one agency to another that requires additional funding.
He said he had begun reviewing the budget proposal, focusing on agencies with infrastructure projects, including the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Agriculture and Department of Transportation.
Ex-Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, who faces graft and plunder charges linked to the flood control scandal, testified at the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday that the DPWH had coordinated with then-Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri on the earmarking of allocables for senators in 2024.
He alleged that Mr. Zubiri had discretion to allocate at least P500 million to each senator and P1 billion to senators who headed committees, and that all senators in the previous Congress availed themselves of the funds.
Mr. Zubiri, who served as Senate president from July 2022 to May 2024, denied handling senators’ budget requests.
“For the record, as Senate president, I never requested, held or handled any list of project requests from senators,” he said in a statement. “I refused to handle any such list. No proposed budget amendment was coursed through our office.”
Mr. Zubiri said lawmakers routinely propose budget amendments and that such changes are not inherently improper if they support legitimate government projects and are free from corruption or personal interests.
Meanwhile, youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) urged the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the alleged disbursement of allocable funds to senators in 2024.
SPARK said the allegations raise concerns over transparency and accountability in the budget process and could further undermine public confidence in Congress. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel