SP Sotto: Reenacted 2026 budget for ‘a few days or a week’ possible

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Monday floated the possibility of the national government operating on a reenacted budget for the beginning of 2026. 

Sotto said that if the Office of the President has already started reviewing the bicameral conference committee report, there is a possibility for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to sign the budget bill by December 30 or 31. 

“But I doubt it. Perhaps, somewhere like, sometime like, first week of January would be ideal na na-review na nila ‘yun (that they have already reviewed it),” Sotto said.

Asked if there will be negative implications for such a reenacted budget, Sotto said, “Wala. A few days or a week or so, walang problema ‘yun.”

(There’s none. There’s no problem if the budget is reenacted for a few days or a week or so.) 

The Senate on Monday amended its legislative calendar, moving the resumption of the plenary session on December 29, in time for the ratification of the proposed P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget.

This came after the House of Representatives earlier in the day also approved the motion to adjust its legislative calendar to ratify the bicameral conference committee report.

Sotto has emphasized that under his leadership, a “blind ratification” of the proposed budget will never be allowed.

“Ayoko ng summary, ayoko ng blind ratification katulad ng nangyari last year. As far as I'm concerned, while I'm Senate President, gusto ko malinaw. Ang ra-ratify namin malinaw na, almost enrolled copy or enrolled copy na papuntang Presidente para malinis na malinis ‘yun at walang insertion whatsoever,” he said. 

(I don't want a summary, I don't want a blind ratification of the budget just like what happened last year. As far as I'm concerned, while I'm Senate President, I want it to be clear. What we will ratify is clearly, almost an enrolled copy or enrolled copy of the bill that will go to the President. That should be very clean and without insertion whatsoever.)

The bicameral conference committee adjourned early Thursday morning, wrapping up the extensive deliberations on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for fiscal year 2026 after four days.—LDF, GMA Integrated News