Camille Naredo

The House of Representatives main session hall is part of the Batasan complex located in Quezon City.  

The House of Representatives main session hall is part of the Batasan complex located in Quezon City.  Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

House of Representatives

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives on Wednesday raised doubts on the credibility of the joint oversight committee on public expenditure.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/6/gatchalian-concerned-over-three-vetoed-items-in-2026-national-budget-1814">READ: Gatchalian concerned over three vetoed items in 2026 national budget</a></div>&quot;We should not put much credence on this supposed &#x27;oversight committee&#x27; because how will Congress exercise oversight over the system of “allocables” or congressional allocations for infrastructure that benefit its members?&quot; ACT Teachers Party List Representative Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Party List Representative Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Party List Representative Renee Co said in a joint statement.&quot;Will the lawmaker proponents investigate themselves? How will Congress exercise oversight over the various pork items that lawmakers themselves have a hand in implementing? We cannot expect lawmakers to do all these things because it goes against their vested interests of taking advantage of the pork barrel system,&quot; they added.“Malinaw na may pork barrel allocations dyan, including ‘yung notorious allocables, na para sa mga kongresista at mga senador mismo… How can the public expect na mayroon talagang genuine na pagbusisi sa budget, lalu na sa infrastructure budget, kung mayroong kanya-kanyang pork barrel budgets ‘yung supposedly susuyod dito through an oversight committee?” Tinio asked.House Committee on Public Accounts Chairperson and Bicol Saro Party List Representative Terry Ridon defended the joint congressional oversight committee, saying it will be composed of different lawmakers, which will serve as a “balancing mechanism” on possible “vested interests” in public infrastructure.“Hindi lang naman po tungkol sa infrastructure ‘yung pinag-uusapan in the congressional oversight but the entirety of public expenditures... Pero I think if you have representation there naman po na parties, members, and senators, I think that serves as a balancing mechanism doon po sa sinasabi po nila na vested interests in public infrastructure for the district,” he explained.Ridon said the joint panel will likely be led the chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Appropriations. The lower chamber will also elect contingents to the said oversight committee, composed of lawmakers from the majority and the minority blocs.The House Committee on Public Accounts plans to hold separate hearings into the implementation of projects by different government agencies.“‘Yung House Public Accounts Committee will work with the agencies. So, we would want to be able to observe how they undertake project implementation at every stage and at every level. So we would want to be able to observe their bidding process. We would want to be able to observe ‘yung mga papaano ko ginagawa yung mekanismo ng partial payment. Kasi minsan, and we have seen it in the flood control hearings na yung partial payments parang minsan complete payment na without actual delivery. So, we want to be very proactive as a committee in looking at how the budget is actually used for this year,” Ridon said.“Very important po na tutukan po natin yung project implementation sa dalawang opisina po na ito directly. Very important po yung tighter qualification rules dito po sa mga sasali pong mga kontaktista kasi nakita na po natin, marami pong mga una humihiram ng mga lisensya. Di ba?“ he added, referring to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education.“Dapat matiyak po natin na ang talagang gumagawa ng mga kontrata at proyekto ay mismo mga nananalo po sa mga bid. Hindi po pinapagamit lang po yung papel. And in the event na makita po natin na ganun pa rin po yung nangyayari, very important po na agad magkaroon po ng consequences yung ganito po magagawin. Ibig sabihin outright blacklisting at outright filing of criminal complaints against these particular contractors,” Ridon noted.Meantime, there will be no resumption of the House Infrastructure Committee probe into alleged anomalous flood control projects anytime soon, despite the resignation of two commissioners for the Independent Commission in Infrastructure, according to Ridon.“We are still waiting for the President to reappoint… for as long as the ICI subsists, we will remain indefinitely suspended,” he said.“But, for example, on other matters, ‘yung mga super health centers,‘yung mga farm-to-market roads, yung mga school buildings, ano naman po yun eh. I think, generally, separate po yun doon sa flood control. We will decide and get advice from the Rules Committee if we can undertake hearings po on these particular entirely separate infrastructure projects,” Ridon noted.<div> </div><div>HOUSE MOOE</div>On the 2026 House budget for maintenance and other operating expenditures, Ridon said some claims by Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste are “misleading“.“I&#x27;ve seen the MOOE table of Congressman Leviste. He basically just divided it among the number of congressmen, 318. That doesn&#x27;t make sense. Kasi syempre it’s an entire House pie. So parang it’s a bit misleading for a table to basically just divide it by the number of congressmen… That is not how it actually works. So, I don&#x27;t want to comment on it, because it is basically misleading,” Ridon said.He noted that the lower chamber’s process of liquidation for MOOEs was determined by the House leadership, joint with the Commission on Audit.“Yun pong proseso ng MOOE ay dinedetermine ng House leadership. Tapos pangalawa, determined jointly with the Commission on Audit. So, we will leave it to the Commission of Audit if they wanted to introduce new rules dito po sa mga bagay po na ito. Kasi like what had been previously stated by a veteran congressman, this has been in place for as long as anyone can actually remember,” Ridon said.

Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives raised doubts on the credibility of the joint oversight committee on public expenditure.

Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives raised doubts on the credibility of the joint oversight committee on public expenditure.

Solons question credibility of joint congressional oversight committee on public expenditure

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Solons question credibility of joint congressional oversight committee on public expenditure

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 07, 2026 04:53 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

public expenditure

oversight committee

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