Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

Victoria Tulad

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/1767678929810viber_image_2026-01-05_12-38-29_cropped_processed_by_imagy (1).jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañang on Monday, January 5, 2026. The national budget, enacted as Republic Act No. 12314, amounts to Php6.793 trillion. Yummie Dingding, PPA pool</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p style="text-align:left">MANILA <strong>(UPDATE) </strong>— President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration remains “confident” that the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) is the “cleanest” spending law that has been passed, Malacañang said on Tuesday, after a lawmaker said that he will question the constitutionality of the inclusion of unprogrammed appropriations in the national budget.</p><p>While Marcos Jr. vetoed some P92-billion worth of projects under unprogrammed appropriations, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice noted that over P100-billion more remain lodged in that item of the 2026 national budget.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/5/lawmaker-to-question-unprogrammed-appropriations-in-2026-budget-before-supreme-court-1641">Lawmaker to question unprogrammed appropriations in 2026 budget before Supreme Court</a></div><p>“Confident po sila na ang ginawa ngayong budget ay ang pinaka malinis, pinakamaayos na ginawa para sa taumbayan,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told Palace reporters.</p><p>“May karapatan po sila na dumulog sa Korte Suprema at tanungin kung unconstitutional ang parte na ito ng budget. Tingnan na lang natin kung ano ang magiging desisyon ng Korte Suprema,” she said.</p><p>While projects under the UA are those deemed on “standby” as they may only be executed if “revenue collection exceed targets and when additional grants or foreign funds are generated,” these items in the budget have been criticized as another form of discretionary fund that is vulnerable to corruption.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/5/marcos-jr-signs-p6-79-t-national-budget-for-2026-1008">Marcos signs P6.79-T budget for 2026, vetoes P92-B unprogrammed funds</a></div><p>In his speech after signing the 2026 spending plan, Marcos underscored that “unprogrammed appropriations are not blank checks,” and guaranteed that its utilization “is provided with safeguards and is only available when clearly defined triggers and tests are met.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent"><strong>&#x27;CORRUPTION-FREE&#x27;</strong></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the 2026 national budget is corruption-free amid claims that this year’s budget is still laden with pork.</p><p>In an interview with ANC’s Headstart, Senator Imee Marcos, a vice chairperson of the committee, said the alleged pork was just divided up, but is still in the budget.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8yxZtCG1nHQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>“The reality is, the claim that it is the cleanest is prone to challenge. It certainly is the sneakiest. Kumbaga, yung pork, tinadtad, pinarte-parte, binaha-bahagi pero kahit giniling pa yan, ang pork, baboy pa rin. Very fatty po ang budget natin,” Marcos said.</p><p>Gatchalian refuted this.</p><p>“Kanya-kanyang pananaw kung ito ay maayos, ito ay hindi maayos, but that&#x27;s a policy issue. Puwede tayong mag-debate sa policy issue ng buong araw o buong linggo pero ang importante walang debate dito sa korupsiyon. Dahil itong budget na ito sinigurado namin na corruption-free at hindi puwede maabuso,” Gatchalian said in a press conference on Tuesday.</p><div> <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/19/what-are-unprogrammed-funds-gatchalian-says-they-are-pork-barrel-1225">What are &#x27;unprogrammed&#x27; funds? Gatchalian says they are &#x27;pork barrel&#x27;</a></div><p>He insisted that they put various safeguards in the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA).</p><p>Gatchalian pointed out, though, that implementation is different and that they do not have control over bidding procedures.</p><p>He also answered the allegation of Marcos that she suspects the pork will be used for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.</p><p>“Hindi namin napag-usapan yung impeachment. Hindi namin napag-usapan yung political side of things. Ang pinag-usapan lang namin is yung budgetary requirements as well as yung impact to the people,” Gatchalian stated. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YK71X0vFMgE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t6uUdB8XH4o?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PmLavrTKsDo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration remains “confident” that the 2026 GAA is the “cleanest” spending law that has been passed, Malacañang said on Tuesday.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration remains “confident” that the 2026 GAA is the “cleanest” spending law that has been passed, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Palace 'confident' 2026 budget is 'cleanest' spending law as solon mulls SC challenge

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Palace 'confident' 2026 budget is 'cleanest' spending law as solon mulls SC challenge

Katrina Domingo,

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 06, 2026 01:59 PM PHT

|

Updated January 06, 2026 03:25 PM PHT

Read More:

2026 budget

2026 GAA

2026 General Appropriations Act

Edgar Erice

Supreme Court

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