Checks, Balances, and the 2027 Budget
I was only 17 years old, full of idealism and fueled by student activism, when I appeared on Viewpoint on GMA-7, hosted by the late Atty. Ricardo “Dong” Puno Jr. A second year pre-dentistry student and student council officer at the University of the East, I joined two fellow student leaders from Ateneo and the University of the Philippines in discussing issues confronting the administration of President Corazon Aquino.
How I wish YouTube had existed back then, para mapanood ko ngayon ang aking 17-year-old self, passionately questioning why our democratic processes took so long. Siguro mapapangiti ako at masasabi, “Nauunawaan ko ang iyong pagmamadali. Marami ka pang matututuhan.”
Young and impatient for results, I questioned the lengthy legislative process. A bill approved by the House of Representatives still had to undergo Senate deliberations. More questions, more debates, more time. Samantala, naghihintay ang mamamayan ng serbisyo.
At that age, I understood the frustration of waiting better than the necessity of scrutiny.
The controversies surrounding the proposed 2027 national budget have brought that memory back. What I once considered an additional obstacle, I now recognize as an opportunity to catch mistakes, challenge questionable priorities, and prevent abuses before they become spending authority.
Hindi lahat ng mabilis ay mahusay. Minsan, mabilis dahil walang nagtatanong.
The Supreme Court’s recent budget ruling underscores the importance of constitutional limits. Its official summary identifies unconstitutional congressional increases affecting the 2024 and 2025 budgets and invalidates particular provisions governing unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 budget. Crucially, the Court distinguishes unprogrammed appropriations from their improper use: these appropriations are not unconstitutional in themselves, but they require clear standards and safeguards.
For the proposed 2027 budget, the lesson is straightforward. Every amendment must have a defensible purpose, a lawful funding basis, and enough detail for meaningful scrutiny. Hindi sapat ang paliwanag na “para sa mamamayan.” Kailangang makita kung sino ang makikinabang, anong pangangailangan ang tutugunan, at paano masusukat ang resulta.
This is where the Senate must exercise independent judgment. House approval should never exempt a proposal from further examination. Neither should a senator’s endorsement. The same standards must apply regardless of who proposes an allocation or which political alliance supports it.
Without that discipline, questionable arrangements can acquire the appearance of legitimacy simply because they have been included in the budget. Kapag ang pansariling interes ay naipasok sa batas, mas mahirap itong pigilan sa pagpapatupad.
I therefore regard Vicente Sotto III’s advocacy for transparent bicameral budget proceedings as a patriotic act. Now serving as Senate President Pro Tempore, he has committed to continuing the transparency measures adopted during the 2026 budget process, including livestreamed bicameral proceedings. Such openness deserves support because the public must be able to examine how its money is being allocated.
But transparency must extend beyond a camera inside the conference room. The public needs timely access to comparable House, Senate, and bicameral versions, with amendments, proponents, amounts, and justifications clearly identified. Kung nakabukas ang livestream pero hindi makita ang dokumentong pinag-uusapan, kulang pa rin ang pag-unawa ng mamamayan.
Whether an allocation is called hard pork, soft pork, or shadow pork in public debate, its actual design deserves examination. These labels do not establish illegality. A budget amendment can address a legitimate need, while a seemingly ordinary appropriation can conceal opportunities for abuse. Ang dapat siyasatin ay ang detalye, kontrol, at aktuwal na paggagamitan ng pera.
A practical approach is the SFA test: Suitability, Feasibility, and Acceptability. It can guide scrutiny alongside constitutional requirements, technical appraisal, procurement safeguards, and auditing.
Suitability asks whether the project addresses a demonstrated public need. Does the proposed flood control structure respond to a documented flood risk? Does the community need that particular road, school building, or assistance program? Hindi porke may puwedeng pondohan ay iyon na ang dapat unahin.
Feasibility asks whether the project can actually be delivered within its cost, timetable, and physical conditions. Are the plans complete, the location verified, and the necessary permits and right of way available? Kung, halimbawa, ang coordinates ng farm-to-market road ay tumuturo sa dagat, kailangang ayusin at beripikahin ang proposal bago ito pondohan. Hindi puwedeng papel lang ang may kalsada.
Acceptability asks whether the proposal meets legal, ethical, environmental, and public interest standards. A technically doable project may still be unacceptable because it is overpriced, duplicative, harmful, or affected by an undisclosed conflict of interest.
These tests bring budget deliberations closer to the lives of ordinary Filipinos. Behind each appropriation is a service that someone needs, often urgently.
Maaaring balanse ang libro, pero hindi nito pinatutunayang naihatid ang serbisyo sa taong bayan. Balanced accounts alone cannot establish that a floodwall was properly constructed, that medicines reached patients, or that assistance reached its intended beneficiaries. Accountability must follow the money through release, procurement, payment, and actual delivery.
Kapag may pondong nabubulsa, ang nawawala ay hindi lamang numero sa ledger. Gamot iyon ng pasyente, silid-aralan ng bata, kabuhayan ng pamilya, at proteksiyon ng komunidad sa susunod na baha.
The Senate has a crucial role in protecting those needs, but its integrity must be demonstrated through its decisions. Its members must disclose their own amendments, challenge unsupported allocations, and demand explanations without shielding political allies. Accountability also requires the House, implementing agencies, auditors, courts, and citizens to perform their respective duties.
Naniniwala ako sa kakayahan ng Senado na tumulong ayusin ang mga gusot sa proposed 2027 budget. That confidence comes with a clear expectation: examine carefully, disclose fully, and insist that public money produces verifiable public benefit.
I still understand the impatience of my 17-year-old self. Unnecessary delay hurts people waiting for services. But careful scrutiny also protects them from projects that consume public money without delivering what was promised.
Noong estudyante ako, ang tanong ko: Bakit kailangan pang dumaan sa Senado? Ngayon, ang tanong ko: Ano ang maaaring makalusot kung walang Senadong handang magsuri?
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