House panel swiftly OKs Marcos office’s proposed 2026 budget out of courtesy

Metro Manila, Philippines - The House appropriations committee extended parliamentary courtesy to the Office of the President (OP), foregoing the scrutiny of its proposed P27.36-billion 2026 national budget, which some lawmakers objected to on Monday, Sept. 8.

After the budget presentation of the office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before the panel, House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan moved to terminate the deliberation of the proposed funding, subject to the clarification and questioning of other representatives.

“Three of them manifested that they will be asking questions to the Office of the President, so subject to those three members of the minority: Congresswoman Renee (Co), Congressman (Antonio) Tinio, and the clarificatory question also from the Honorable Leila de Lima,” Libanan said.

The motion was seconded, but Tinio and Co objected as they said pressing issues should be addressed. The panel then voted in 56 affirmative and five negative.

“Now, of all times, is not the time for parliamentary courtesy but for full transparency in the budget process, especially for the budget of the Office of the President. Sinimulan ng presidente sa kanyang SONA ang sabi niya, paglaban sa corruption at reporma sa proseso ng pagbabadyet... So bakit ngayon ay pinipigilan natin ang pagbulatlat sa buong budget ng Office of the President?” Tinio asked, adding that his office needs to address concerns on confidential funds, alleged human rights violations and redtagging, among other issues.

[Translation: The president started fighting corruption and budget process reform in his SONA. Why are we stopping the scrutiny of the Office of the President’s budget?]

Co and Kamanggagawa party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando shared the same sentiment.

“Wala pong rason kung bakit mag-e-extend ng gantong klaseng [There is no reason to extend this kind of] courtesy at a time when spending in the government is undergoing intense public scrutiny and even outrage over the recent discoveries on systemic corruption,” she said.

“May I just remind my honorable and distinguished colleagues that the power of the purse is vested upon the House of Representatives, and also in that spirit, we must scrutinize every peso and every centavo being given to the agencies and departments; para naman po maging fair sa ating mga manggagawa’t ordinaryong Pilipino dahil pera po ng ordinaryo’t manggagawang Pilipino ang pinag-uusapan natin dito,” San Fernando said.

[Translation: This is to be fair to ordinary Filipino workers because this is their money.]

De Lima abstained from voting due to parliamentary courtesy, but said she wanted to inquire as well. She will raise her questions in the plenary debates.

“I do recognize the parliamentary courtesy being accorded to the Office of the President, and at the same time, I agree with the dissenters that we cannot be prevented from asking questions, and also manifestations,” de Lima said.

During previous budget debates, the approval of the OP’s budget at the committee level has been a breeze due to the courtesy.