PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday said discussions on the 2026 national budget would be livestreamed, marking the first time the bicameral conference committee will be opened to the public amid growing calls for transparency in the spending process.
Mr. Marcos said he had agreed with Senate President Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III and Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III to make the entire bicameral process public, ensuring that last-minute insertions or amendments to the spending bill could be traced.
“There will be no more small committee,” Mr. Marcos told reporters in Malacañang. “If there are questionable insertions or additions, people will know who made those changes.”
He said livestreaming the bicam would let Filipinos see firsthand how lawmakers reconcile budget differences and understand the process behind congressional adjustments. “The bicam is actually a public hearing,” he said. “Now, it will all be out.”
The move follows Mr. Marcos’ order to investigate a multibillion-peso flood control scam involving alleged kickbacks from public works projects. The scandal has prompted scrutiny of how congressional realignments are made during final budget deliberations.
Last week, the House of Representatives approved a record P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 that it plans to transmit to the Senate before yearend.
The spending plan is 7.4% higher than this year’s outlay and was approved after lawmakers realigned P201.1 billion, or nearly 79% of the P255-billion initially allotted for flood control, toward education, food security and healthcare programs.
The realignment followed Mr. Marcos’ order to suspend flood control projects next year pending corruption probes. He said he would make sure that every peso goes to projects that truly serve the people.
The President added he does not expect to veto any item in the 2026 budget, saying the House-approved version aligns with his administration’s priorities.
“As far as we have examined, there are no projects listed there that are outside the socioeconomic development plan,” he said. “I don’t think we need to veto — but let’s see, because the process is not yet finished.”
Mr. Marcos said the Senate version of the budget would still undergo scrutiny before being finalized through the bicameral committee.
Budget watchdogs have long urged Congress to open bicameral sessions to public view, noting that the closed-door process has often shielded last-minute insertions. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
