SENATE STANDS FIRM AGAINST UNPROGRAMMED FUND SPENDING

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the Senate will reject billions in lump-sum unprogrammed funds found in the House-approved 2026 national budget, with reports citing amounts between P80 billion and P200 billion.

Sotto emphasized that all funds should be properly allocated to relevant agencies, not lumped into unprogrammed accounts, except for necessary foreign-assisted projects.

He also supported a 20 percent budget cut for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects to prevent overpricing. He suggested transferring some infrastructure projects to local governments for better oversight.

Sotto warned against last-minute budget amendments, insisting changes must be made only during the official amendment period to ensure transparency.

Meanwhile, Senator Bam Aquino vowed to continue investigating flood control project anomalies and pushed for reforms, including a blockchain system to enhance budget transparency.

Source: PhilNews24 | October 20, 2025