Marilyn Cahatol

Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and allied groups gather outside the House of Representatives to call for the impeachment of Sara Duterte as legislators deliberated on the proposed 2024 budget of the Office of the Vice President in the plenary on September 24, 2024.
According to BAYAN, VP Sara Duterte betrayed public trust, citing the alleged anomalous spending of confidential funds in 2022 and 2023 during her term as Education Secretary, and raised concerns about her refusal to answer queries regarding the issue.

Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

BAYAN calls for impeachment of VP Duterte

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — There are three forms of cancer in the budget, according to the group Roundtable for Inclusive Development, which, along with other civil society organizations, met with the Senate Committee on Finance on Tuesday to discuss ways to improve the budget process.</p><p>The group’s co-convenor Adolfo Jose Montesa said these cancers include soft pork, hard pork, and what they call the shadow budget.</p><p>Soft pork refers to &quot;ayuda&quot; programs that supposedly promote patronage politics such as the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), and Tulong Dunong.</p><p>“Indignities of soft pork allocations have persisted through P156 billion worth of insertions across past four budgets since 2022,” Montesa said.</p><p>He noted that combined funds from these programs add up to almost P70 billion worth of increases from the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to the House of Representatives’ version of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill.</p><p>Montesa added that funding for AICS, MAIFIP and TUPAD grew by P66.97 billion, more than the budget increase for education given by the House amounting to P56.6 billion.</p><p>A second form of cancer is hard pork, said Montesa.</p><p>“Ang mga line items na nasa ilalim ng for example, Convergence and Special Support Program ng DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), Asset Preservation Program ng DPWH, farm-to-market ng DA (Department of Agriculture), and irrigation projects under the NIA (National Irrigation Administration), ay nagsilbi nang daluyan ng mga proyektong may halong politika, mga insertion na ginagamit para makakuha ng kickback mula sa maanomalya o substandard na mga projects, o kaya upang patatagin ang patron-client relationships and networks,” he said.</p><p>“The anomalous flood control projects therefore are only the tip of the iceberg,” Montesa added.</p><p>This is because only P547 billion worth of flood control projects have been listed in the Sumbong sa Pangulo website from 2018-2025, according to Montesa, as opposed to the P1.2 trillion flood management program of DPWH in the same time frame.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/9/-sumbong-sa-pangulo-website-gets-nearly-20-000-complaints-palace-1533">‘Sumbong sa Pangulo’ website gets nearly 20,000 complaints: Palace</a></div><p>“That amounts to a P653 billion worth of public funds unaccounted for. Not to mention the massive infrastructure outlays and insertions in the DPWH,” Montesa said.</p><p>The third cancer, he said, is the unprogrammed appropriations (UA) which the group called &quot;shadow budget.&quot;</p><p>“Because UA items are couched in lump sums, this allows the executive to finance projects in a manner outside the regular scrutiny of the General Appropriations Act. This reinforces the UA as a shadow budget,” Montesa said. “Over the last four budgets, congressional insertions into the UA alone have totaled P1.1 trillion.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/28/-alok-able-funds-dizon-to-scrap-formula-for-allocable-non-allocable-funds-0904">&#x27;Alok-able funds&#x27;: Dizon to scrap formula for allocable, non-allocable funds</a></div><div>  </div><div><strong>RECOMMENDATIONS</strong></div><p>People’s Budget Coalition co-convenor Kenneth Abante said an open budget movement was needed to restore the public’s trust. </p><p>This includes opening the bicameral conference committee procedures, creating an open budget transparency server, empowering the Independent Commission for Infrastructure with powers of contempt, subpoena and fiscal autonomy, and allowing civil society organizations to take part in the budget deliberations.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/10/27/solon-says-ici-not-truly-independent-1842">Solon calls business, labor groups’ letter to Marcos ‘timely&#x27;; says ICI not independent</a></div><p>Abante pointed out that it was difficult to get data on competing bids.</p><p>Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Chairperson of the Committee on Finance, said they would require DPWH to give access to their data through a special provision.</p><p>“Pipilitin namin sila open data and upload data,” Gatchalian said.</p><p>Other civil service organizations such as Social Watch Philippines called for the deletion or realignment of contestable items such as the P32 billion of AICS, P10 billion of TUPAD, P16.8 billion for farm-to-market roads, P10.5 billion additional House of Representatives’ budget, and P49.2 billion of MAIFIP.</p><p>ACT Philippines, the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), and Move as One Coalition appealed for additional budget for the education and transportation sectors.</p><p>According to Gatchalian, another goal of their hearing is to help people understand the budget process and the budget itself.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/27/dpwh-budget-may-be-cut-by-p80-billion-says-gatchalian-1924">Senate panel OKs DPWH proposed budget but may still be cut by P80B</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>LIVESTREAMING</strong></div><p>IBON Foundation Executive Director Sonny Africa said they  monitored questionable projects through the Sumbong sa Pangulo website.</p><p>“We also saw 3,049 projects worth cumulatively P218 billion in 226 districts strangely clustering just below the 50 million and 100 million thresholds,” Africa said. “I think these are super statistically impossible anomalies and point to systematic collusions between contractors and legislators.”</p><p>Africa said that information should be given to the public, mass media, and civil society organizations.</p><p>“It’s simply about the government sharing information it already has which will create the pressure to act against corruption instead of keeping it in the shadows,” he said.</p><p>Asked about livestreaming the bicameral conference committee proceeding, Africa said he believed it was as ineffective as machine unreadable documents.</p><p>“Livestreaming it won’t actually address that kung may naluto na beforehand,” Africa remarked.</p><p>Montesa said they were looking for genuine discussion in the bicam.</p><p>According to Gatchalian, opening the bicam makes the Committee chairman like himself more accountable.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/10/28/biz-group-warns-of-crisis-of-trust-amid-flood-control-scandal-1105">Business group warns of &#x27;crisis of trust&#x27; amid flood control corruption scandal</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o1s9cmOAFGQ?si=aId5lwmokGXgMu4M" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>There are three forms of cancer in the budget, according to the group Roundtable for Inclusive Development, which, along with other civil society organizations, met with the Senate Committee on Finance on Tuesday to discuss ways to improve the budget process.</p>

There are three forms of cancer in the budget, according to the group Roundtable for Inclusive Development, which, along with other civil society organizations, met with the Senate Committee on Finance on Tuesday to discuss ways to improve the budget process.

Civil society orgs flag problems with budget, call for changes

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Nation

Civil society orgs flag problems with budget, call for changes

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 28, 2025 03:58 PM PHT

Read More:

2026 budget

sherwin gatchalian

roundtable for inclusive development

people’s budget coalition

social watch philippines

pbed

act philippines

move as one coalition

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.