Some senators prefer operating under a reenacted 2025 budget rather than rushing the approval of what they warned could be a “graft-ridden” 2026 national budget, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said.
The concern centers on farm-to-market road projects, with Sen. Francis Pangilinan flagging that around ₱8 billion worth of items lacked proper identification despite a ₱33-billion allocation approved by both chambers.
Pangilinan said the questionable projects appeared in a revised list that differed from what the Senate had earlier approved on third reading.
Senate finance committee chair Sherwin Gatchalian said the changes were requested by the Department of Agriculture, which sought to replace some project items while keeping the total amount intact.
Lacson stressed that a reenacted budget would be preferable to passing an unchecked spending plan, noting that similar situations occurred in 2010 and 2019.
Source: PhilNews24 | December 17, 2025
