Sotto: Senate to ensure no reenacted budget in 2026

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto on Thursday stood firm that the upper chamber will do everything to ensure that there will be no reenacted budget next year.

In an ambush interview, Sotto assured the P6.793 trillion 2026 budget bill would be passed and signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. before the year ends. 

“We are confident that we will be able to finish it. Sa tulong-tulong din namin, ‘di lang ng Executive kung hindi pati ng House of Representatives pagdating namin do’n sa bicam, para hindi magkaroon ng reenacted budget na hinding hindi namin papayagan,” the Senate President said.

(We are confident that we will be able to finish it. With the help of everyone, not only the Executive but also the House of Representatives, when we reach the bicam, so that we will not have a reenacted budget, which we will not allow to happen.) 

“Sapagkat… Sabi nga nila, the most corrupt budget ‘yung 2025 [budget] tapos reenacted. Aba’y masamang mangyayari ‘yun kaya ‘di namin papayagan. Huwag naman. Lahat ng pwedeng gawin namin para maapura ito, gagawin namin,” he added. 

(Because… As they say, the most corrupt budget is the 2025 budget. That’s not a good thing to happen, so we won't allow it. I hope it doesn’t happen. We will do everything to prevent this.)

Earlier, Malacañang urged lawmakers to hasten the passage of the 2026 national budget as Marcos does not want the government to run on a reenacted budget next year, according to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro.

This came after Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, admitted “fears” of a reenacted 2026 budget due to a “very tight” work timeline.

Regardless, Gatchalian said that the Senate remains on track so far to pass the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA). 

The Senate is expected to approve the 2026 budget bill on second reading on Thursday, December 4, and approve it on third reading on December 9.  

The bicameral meetings between members of the Senate and the House of Representatives would be held on December 11 to 13, while the signing of the 2026 GAA by Marcos is targeted on December 29.

Based on the tentative timetable shared by Gatchalian to members of the media, the Senate was supposed to already approve the budget bill on second reading on Wednesday, December 3, after a day of amendments. 

Sotto said there has to be a compromise between the Senate majority and minority blocs so that they will be able to approve the budget as scheduled next week.

“Merong tinatanong ‘yung mga minority na mga members ng Senate. Then again, bottom line is talagang it’s an art of compromise. You have to master it somehow, especially when it comes to the budget,” he said. 

(The minority members of the Senate still have questions. Then again, the bottom line is really, it’s an art of compromise. You have to master it somehow, especially when it comes to the budget.) 

“So hopefully, matatapos namin ‘yan. Basta importante pa rin ay transparent naming ginagawa, accountable kung ano’t ano man ‘yung makita nila do’n ang publiko, alam, makikita kung ano ‘yan, lalo na pagdating bicam,” he added. 

(So hopefully, we will be able to finish that. What’s important is we are doing it transparently, and we’re accountable no matter what the public sees, especially when it comes to the bicam.) — JMA, GMA Integrated News