Speaker says budget debates will be open to watchdogs, vows ghost projects probe

The presence of watchdogs and other civil society observers will be allowed at the proposed national budget deliberations, from the committee and plenary level to the bicameral conference committee, Speaker Martin Romualdez said on Tuesday.

Romualdez made the call after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. said in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) that he will veto any proposed budget bill by Congress that will not be in harmony with his administration’s programs and priorities.

“Now, we turn to the cornerstone of governance: the national budget. The House of the People in the 20th Congress will not merely pass a budget. It will reshape how government spends, saves, and serves. We will open the bicameral conference to civil society observers—a historic first,” Romualdez said in a speech.

“Because transparency is not just a value; it is a weapon against corruption. We will allow the participation of watchdogs in all budget deliberations—from committee to plenary. Aside from opening the process to the watchdogs, the public can keep abreast of the budget process by watching it on television and other social media platforms,” he added.

In addition, Romualdez vowed to strengthen the House’s authority to investigate by conducting mid-year performance reviews of agencies and review of infrastructure projects.

“We heard the President’s SONA. We take to heart his call—his frustration, even—about the lingering shadow of corruption in our institutions. As Speaker, I share his concern. And I accept his challenge — not with defensiveness, but with determination,” he said.

“That is why the House of Representatives will launch a comprehensive congressional review of infrastructure projects and fund implementation.”

Those lined up for congressional investigation include:

• ghost projects,

• bloated contracts,

• chronic underspending, and

• abuse of discretion in fund realignment and procurement.

In preventing these, the Speaker said the House will push for the passage of legislation that requires real-time public reporting of project progress and fund use, mandatory performance standards for contractors and agencies, and a national infrastructure audit framework.

“We are not here to cover up. We are here to clean up,” Romualdez added.

As this developed, lawmakers from the House and the Senate also filed a Joint Resolution opening the all bicameral conference committee deliberations on the national budget to the public, conducted in person or through digital live streaming. 

Likewise, the Joint Resolution requires the bicameral conference panel to produce a matrix comparing the differences between the House of Representatives' and the Senate's versions of the bill, and how these differences were resolved.  

This matrix will be also made available to the public. 

Lastly, the Joint Resolution provides that the bicameral conference committee should immediately produce comprehensive minutes of the meeting/s which will also be open to the public.

Authors of the Open Bicam Resolution in the House include: ML party-list Representative Leila de Lima, Albay Representative Krisel Lagman, Dinagat Islands Representative Arlene Bag-ao, and Akbayan party-list Representative Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña and Dadah Ismula.  

The Senate counterpart of the Joint Resolution, on the other hand, is authored by Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Senators Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, Migz Zubiri, Loren Legarda, Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino. Aquino and Pangilinan are the lone Senators who signed off on the Open Bicam Joint Resolution who belong to the Senate Majority Bloc. 

“The President mentioned about flood control projects bypassing the legitimate process, and we want the budget process to be transparent and accountable. This [Joint Resolution] is in response to the President’s call for good governance and fighting corruption during his SONA,” Lagman told reporters.  

“This is our answer to the lack of transparency during budget deliberations and in funding flood control projects. With Open Bicam, lawmakers would have to explain why they want certain budget items included,” de Lima added. As this developed, de Lima said Pangilinan and Aquino signing off on the Open Bicam Joint Resolution shows that they remain committed to good governance even if they have aligned themselves with the Senate majority bloc that include allies of former President  Rodrigo Duterte. 

“We understand their decision because the most important thing here is their stand on issues, like this Open Bicam Joint Resolution...and all other issues such as good governance and anti-corruption efforts,” de Lima said.  

“Makakaasa po kayo na sila ay papanig kung saan iyong tama,” de Lima, a party-mate of Pangilinan in the Liberal party, added. 

(You can be assured that they will side on what is right.) — BM, GMA Integrated News