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House ratifies bicam report on proposed 2026 budget; some lawmakers express concern

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The House of Representatives has ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed 2026 national budget.</p><p>During the House plenary session on Monday, the lower chamber voting via viva voce or voice voting, ratified the bicam report that reconciled the disagreeing provisions in the House’s and the Senate’s versions of the 2026 budget proposal.</p><p>The session ended in less than a minute.</p><p>During the brief session, a faint voice could be heard calling the attention of the House Speaker, but no one was recognized.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/29/house-ratifies-bicam-report-on-proposed-2026-national-budget-1413">Congress ratifies bicam report on proposed 2026 national budget</a></div><p>Some lawmakers from the House minority expressed disappointment over the lack of opportunity to explain their vote against the bicam report ratification after the voting.</p><p> “Nandoon pa lang ako sa pintuan noong narinig ko na ‘yung aye and nay votes. And I was looking at my watch. It was just about 2:02 in the afternoon and it was set to be at 2 o&#x27;clock. So nagulat na lang ako na nag-uumpisa na pala ‘yung botohan. So ano kayang pasabog ito na napakabilis na mga pangyayari yung pagraratify nung bicam report? Yes, aye and nay votes, pero ang pagkakaintindi ko dyan ay pwede naman na maglahad ng explanation ‘yung mga nag-register ng no votes,&quot; House Deputy Minority and ML Party List Representative Leila de Lima said. </p><p>&quot;Napakabilis ng pangyayari. Immediately, nag-move na to adjourn at in-adjourn na. Because nga, when somebody moves to adjourn, that&#x27;s not subject to any question, that&#x27;s not subject to any debate. So nakakagulat, nakakadismaya, na ganoon kabilis yung ginawa nila. Mukhang, you know, orchestrated, syempre, ‘yung ganyang mga laro.&quot;</p><p>Gabriela Party List Representative Sarah Elago added there is still no genuine transparency over the budget process.</p><p> “Binigyan nga tayo relatively mas maaga ng budget ng report at kopya ng nangyari sa bicam. Ngunit hindi naman tayo pinagsalita. Very telling ito dun sa buong process ng budget ngayon. Bagamat may mga pagbabago pero wala namang tunay na transparency!” Gabriela Party List Representative Sarah Elago added.</p><p>De Lima and Senior Deputy Minority Leader Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Edgar Erice are opposed to the continued existence of the Unprogrammed Appropriations in the bicam-approved budget for next year, proposed to be at over P243 billion.</p><p>Erice said he will question the UA before the Supreme Court if not vetoed by the President, saying it is “unconstitutional”.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/29/palace-dpwh-gave-leviste-2026-proposed-budget-not-2025-budget-list-1649">Lawmaker details unprogrammed appropriations in House-approved 2026 budget</a></div><p>“Maliwanag sa Section 7, Article 22 ng ating Saligang Batas na dapat yung budget of expenditures mayroong source of financing. ‘Yung unprogrammed funds, wala. Ito ay isang shadow budget na ina-authorize ng Kongreso, pero nasa executive ang discretion. Pangalawa, ito ‘yung distortion ng power of the purse. Dapat kami lang sa Kongreso ‘yung may kapangyarihan para dito. At ito, prone to abuse!” Erice explained.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;PORK BARREL&#x27;</strong></div><p>Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc, meanwhile, believe pork continues to exist in the bicam-approved budget.</p><p>“Nadagdagan ang confidential and intelligence funds. Hindi rin totoo na pork-free ang budget na ito. Totoo, binawasan ang pork sa DPWH pero inilipat naman sa iba. Kasama na rito, ‘yung malaking dinagdag sa LGU pork na tinatawag natin. Mahigit P58 billion ang nadagdag sa mga lump sums para sa LGU. Para sa mga infrastructure projects at ayuda na idadaan na sa LGU ngayon. Kung dati sa mga infrastructure projects at ayuda na idadaan na sa LGU ngayon. Kung dati sa mga distrito, ngayon sa LGU. So nandyan pa rin ang pork. Samantala, para madagdagan ang pork, binawasan naman ‘yung pondo para sa benepisyo at sweldo ng government employees,” House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Representative Antonio Tinio said.</p><p>“Buhay na buhay ang pork… ‘Yung mismong presensya ng bilyun-bilyong mga ayuda na very prone talaga historically sa corruption, sa misuse at sa abuse… Bakit hindi natin binibigyan ng sapat na pondo ‘yung mismong paglikha ng trabaho?” Elago added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/25/budget-watchdog-sees-red-flag-items-despite-lawmakers-assurances-of-no-pork-1246">Budget watchdog sees &#x27;red flag&#x27; items despite lawmakers&#x27; assurances of no pork</a></div><p>This was disputed by House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Mikaela Suansing.</p><p>“Wala pong pork barrels sa 2026 GAA at makikita n’yo po na mayroon pa ngang safeguard na inilagay tayo, which again is that prohibition on political involvement in the distribution of cash and other financial aid,” she said.</p><p>“The GAA will form the legal basis for the unprogrammed appropriations, for the purposes specified for which the unprogrammed appropriations will be allotted. So, yung GAA po kasi is the legal basis for the unprogrammed appropriations,” Suansing added.</p><p>House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo City 1st District Representative Ronaldo Puno is seeking clarification on a special provision in the proposed budget that prohibits political invovlement in the distribution of cash and other types of financial aid. For Puno, it does not cover guarantee letters.</p><p>“If you follow the provisions kasi of the BICAM, it&#x27;s not clear. But definitely, if you consider a guarantee letter as a public official using his position to get the fund, baka magka-problema tayo doon. But if it&#x27;s understood to be what it really is, which is merely a referral letter, in order that the Department of Health will help the patient involved. Eh sa tingin ko, okay lang ‘yun,” Puno said.</p><p>“Ang DOH ang nagtatakda kung magkano ang ibibigay sa bawat pasyente. Sila po ang nag-i-issue ng GL code at nakapaloob po doon kung magkano ang ibibigay sa bawat pasyente. Again, wala pong political intervention ang GL sa kasalukuyang. Wala pong palakasan ‘yan. Ang intention po at ang instruction sa atin ng ating mahal na Pangulong Bongbong Marcos ay zero balance billing po ang ating target, lalo na po sa mga government hospitals. Kaya ‘yun po ‘yung intent natin. Wala pong palakasan yan. Lahat po ng mga pasyente, lalung-lalo na po ‘yung ating indigent ng mga kababayan, ay dapat mabigyan po na access sa healthcare,” Suansing explained.</p><p>She noted that it is up to the executive to implement the special provision and come up with guidelines on distributing government aid.</p>

<p>Some lawmakers from the House minority expressed disappointment over the lack of opportunity to explain their vote against the bicam report ratification after the voting.</p>

Some lawmakers from the House minority expressed disappointment over the lack of opportunity to explain their vote against the bicam report ratification after the voting.

Some lawmakers express concern as House ratifies bicam report on proposed 2026 budget

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Some lawmakers express concern as House ratifies bicam report on proposed 2026 budget

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 29, 2025 05:42 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

Bicam

2026 budget

Pork barrel

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