Budget watchdogs feel sidelined from the House of Representatives’ scrutiny of the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget, a civil society group representative and an analyst said on Wednesday, raising concerns about transparency in the budget process.
Lawmakers entered the second week of budget talks, yet civil society organizations (CSOs) remained excluded as rules for their participation remain unclear, blocking access and leaving their queries unanswered.
‘The House appropriations committee has gone cold on us,’ said Tim Salomon, program officer at Caucus of Development Non-Government Organizations Networks (CODE-NGO).
‘We were ‘seen-zoned’ when we send interpellation questions or call for dialogue,’ Salomon told the Inquirer in a text message.
CODE-NGO was among the groups accredited by the House to observe the budget talks last year, when CSOs were allowed to pose questions and send representatives to the hearings.
Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, chair of the House appropriations committee, did not immediately respond to an Inquirer request for comment.
Consequential budget
But a person familiar with the accreditation process said a member of the committee will reach out to the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department and the Office of the Secretary General to identify ‘implementation bottlenecks’ and streamline CSOs’ participation.
The House last week began its scrutiny of the National Expenditure Program submitted by Malacañang. It has since held marathon hearings on government agencies’ spending plan, hoping to pass the budget bill by Oct. 9.
Next year’s budget is deemed consequential as it comes ahead of the 2028 national elections. The 2027 spending plan is the last full budget to be implemented by the Marcos administration.
That underscores the need to keep the budget clean, according to Salomon. ‘We’re afraid because the Local Government Support Fund and aid programs are discretionary funds that, historically, have been used for elections,’ he said.
Former Finance Undersecretary Cielo Magno earlier called for clear rules on the allocation of special funds to local governments to keep them from becoming tools for political patronage ahead of the elections.
‘Not walking their talk’
Sen. Panfilo Lacson also flagged ‘questionable’ lump-sum appropriations for infrastructure projects.
In early August, Suansing said the appropriations committee could have a ‘closer coordination’ with CSOs so that their queries can be addressed directly to the agencies concerned.
But her remarks felt like hot air, according to public finance specialist Zy-za Nadine Suzara.
‘They are not walking their talk,’ she told the Inquirer on Wednesday. ‘They promised to make the budget process transparent and accountable but they have not taken any concrete steps to allow CSOs and watchdogs to meaningfully engage in the process.’
The committee’s lack of commitment to let CSOs join appeared to be the biggest stumbling block, Suzara said.