Bicam not ‘backdoor’ for budget insertions, says Ejercito

MANILA, Philippines — Senate finance committee chairman Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito on Saturday said that the Bicameral Conference Committee should not be used as a “backdoor” for last-minute budget insertions, further ensuring tighter budget process oversight.

“Gagawin nating open to the public ang lahat ng hearing hanggang sa Bicameral Conference Committee. Ang bicam ay hindi dapat maging backdoor para baguhin ang mga pondong dumaan na sa masusing pagdinig ng Senado at Kamara” Ejercito said in a statement.

(We will make all hearings, up to the Bicameral Conference Committee stage, open to the public. The bicameral conference should not serve as a backdoor for altering funds that have already undergone rigorous scrutiny by the Senate and the House.)

READ: Lacson says to review flagged questionable lump sum items in 2027 proposed budget

The Department of Budget and Management last Tuesday, Aug. 11 formally transmitted the 2027 NEP to the House of Representatives, amounting to P7.2 trillion.

Ejercito said he pushed to publicize the Bicameral Conference Committee proceedings through livestreamings and posting of budget information online to allow the public track the changes from the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) through the Senate and House versions up to the final bicameral version.

The move is aimed at having greater scrutiny over the budget process and end post-enactment interventions, primarily as allegations of the “leadership fund” and budget insertions have resurfaced, as well as claims of large budget allocations, Ejercito said.

“Ang hamon sa atin bilang Finance committee chairman ay hindi lamang bumuo ng budget, kundi ibalik ang tiwala ng publiko sa paraan ng paggastos ng pamahalaan,” he said.

(The challenge for us as Finance committee chairman is not merely to craft a budget, but to restore public trust in the government’s spending practices.)

Ejercito assured that tighter oversight does not mean limiting Congress’ power of the purse, including its authority to examine and amend the proposed national budget.

He said that legitimate amendments that go through plenary process will still be allowed, particularly if these are requests by local government units referred to senators, budget adjustments from government agencies, or it addresses needs not included in the proposed budget.

“We as senators can only propose, but it’s the agencies or departments that will validate. We will prevent last-minute insertions and even post-enactment interventions,” he added.

The senator also rejected calls for a blanket suspension of infrastructure projects, further saying that legitimate infrastructure projects must continue, while individuals behind the ghost project scandal be held liable.

“We are for accountability, but development has to continue. If we stop good and reasonable infrastructure projects, government spending will also slow down, and that will affect our economy. Our economy has to continue,” he said. /gsg