Ched Rick Gatchalian

Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino “Bodjie” Dy III formally takes his oath as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, following the resignation of Martin Romualdez. Lawmakers witnessed the transition, which marks a significant political shift in the lower chamber. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino “Bodjie” Dy III formally takes his oath as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, following the resignation of Martin Romualdez. Lawmakers witnessed the transition, which marks a significant political shift in the lower chamber.
Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

House Speaker Dy defends House-approved 2026 budget proposal amid “insertion” allegations: 'Walang illegal'

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176594920961920250917-house-speaker-faustino-bojie-dy-MT40.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino “Bodjie” Dy III formally takes his oath as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, following the resignation of Martin Romualdez. Lawmakers witnessed the transition, which marks a significant political shift in the lower chamber. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA (UPDATED) — House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III defended on Wednesday the House-approved 2026 national budget proposal amid “insertion” allegations, asserting that there was nothing “illegal” or “secret” in the chamber’s budget process.</p><p>He issued the statement after a PCIJ report claimed that the House of Representatives proposed P23-billion “insertions” in the 2026 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Of that amount, the biggest chunk supposedly went to the House Speaker’s district, followed by the district of the House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Mikaela Suansing.</p><p>Both lawmakers have yet to issue a direct response to the alleged hike in the proposed infra budget for their respective districts. But the House Speaker said all budget amendments went through the proper process and were approved by the lower chamber on third and final reading.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/16/bicam-fails-to-reconvene-over-dpwh-budget-2029">Bicam still in impasse over 2026 DPWH budget</a></div><p>“Ang katotohanan: Walang iligal, walang palihim, at walang panlilinlang na nangyayari sa ating panig,” Dy said in a statement.</p><p>“Bilang Speaker ng Kamara, ako po ay naninindigan sa malinis, maayos, at tapat na proseso ng paggawa ng budget,” he added.</p><p>“Lahat po ng nilalaman ng ating panukalang batas—kasama na ang mga pondo, probisyon, at programa—ay dumaan sa tamang proseso. Iyan ay inaprubahan ng buong House of Representatives sa ikatlong pagbasa, at bago pa man magsimula ang bicam, naipasa na ito,” Dy said.</p><p>Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco also denied on Tuesday that the House-proposed 2026 budget for infrastructure in his district contained “insertions”, saying the P748 million increase in the budget was a “restoration of wrongly removed funds”.</p><p>“Ang P748M ay hindi insertion. Hindi rin po ‘yun dagdag. ‘Yun ay halaga na ibinalik lang sa distrito ng Navotas dahil ‘yun ay nararapat para sa aming distrito… Hindi ako nag-insert at hindi nadagdagan ang budget ng distrito ng Navotas. May ibinalik lang, pero kulang pa rin ang ibinalik,” Tiangco said in a privilege speech before the House plenary.</p><p>“Wala pong katotohanan na ako ay may insertion. Hindi ko magagawa na mag-insert dahil hindi ako myembro ng Committee on Appropriations kaya’t imposible po ang sinasabi nila,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT IS AN INSERTION?</strong></div><p>Tiangco explained that a budget amendment approved by the lower chamber on second and third reading cannot be considered an “insertion”.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/17/2026-budget-bicam-extends-to-four-days-as-deadline-looms-0829">2026 budget bicam extends to four days as deadline looms</a></div><p>“Ang insertion ay ‘yung mga budget na sikretong ipinasok o idinagdag,” he said.</p><p>“Kapag ba ‘yung isang pondo o karagdagang pondo ay dumaan sa second reading at dumaan sa third reading at naging bahagi ng House General Appropriations Bill, ‘yan ba ay matatawag na insertion?” Bataan First District Rep. Antonino Roman III asked during his interpellation.</p><p>“Hindi po ‘yan insertion… Dahil natural lang po sa ating lahat na mga mambabatas at district representatives… na lahat tayo ay gusto ng mas maraming proyekto para sa ating lugar. So natural lang po na tayo ay hihingi ng karagdagang pondo sa ating lugar. At kung ‘yan ay pinagbigyan, hindi po ‘yan insertion,” Tiangco replied.</p><p><strong></strong>House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong echoed this explanation.</p><p>“As far as the HGAB (House General Appropriations Bill) is concerned, we&#x27;ve done the process out in the open. Everything that we did during the committee deliberation was televised, was live streamed. All the adjustments in terms of the funding allocation for per line items of every agency in the government under the NEP (National Expenditure Program) was done publicly,” he said.</p><p>“The result of the HGAB was actually the result of the collective wisdom and the eventual approval of the House. So the nomenclature that was used, “insertion”, mukhang kailangan po natin ‘yun i-correct. Kasi kung ano po ‘yung mga nag-reflect doon sa HGAB, ay pinagbotohan at nag-undergo po sa legal na proseso at nakita naman po ng taumbayan kung paano ito pinag-usapan,” Adiong added.<strong></strong><br/></p><div> </div><div><strong>NO BICAM INSERTION</strong></div><p>Dy also asserted that there were no “insertions” in the proposed 2026 national budget at the bicameral conference committee level.</p><p>“Nais ko lang pong itama ang mga kumakalat na ispekulasyon: Wala pong nangyayaring ‘insertion’ o palihim na pagdaragdag ng pondo o probisyon sa bicameral conference committee,” he said in a statement.</p><p>“Ang tungkulin ng bicam ay pag-isahin ang bersyon ng Senado at Kamara — hindi para magpasok ng bago o ilusot ang hindi napagkasunduan. Kaya mali po at hindi makatotohanan ang sinasabing may ‘insertions’ sa bicam,” Dy added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/29/sotto-says-not-all-budget-insertions-are-illegal-following-lacson-findings-0845">Sotto says not all budget insertions are illegal following Lacson findings</a></div>

<p>House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III defended on Wednesday the 2026 national budget proposal approved by the chamber amid “insertion” allegations, asserting that there was nothing “illegal” or “secret” in the lower chamber’s budget process.</p>

House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III defended on Wednesday the 2026 national budget proposal approved by the chamber amid “insertion” allegations, asserting that there was nothing “illegal” or “secret” in the lower chamber’s budget process.

Speaker Dy defends House-approved 2026 budget proposal amid 'insertion' claims: 'Walang illegal'

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Speaker Dy defends House-approved 2026 budget proposal amid 'insertion' claims: 'Walang illegal'

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 17, 2025 03:25 PM PHT

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Updated Dec 17, 2025 05:10 PM PHT

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Bojie Dy

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