THE push to scrap unprogrammed appropriations from the 2026 national budget gained more momentum as Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo M. Lacson threw his full support behind the bid of Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Finance committee chairman Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.
Lacson said that he will add his voice to the Senate’s stand if the Senate and House contingents meet on the matter at the bicameral conference committee.
‘Our agreement was that there will be no unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 budget, but we will allow funding for foreign-assisted projects that are necessary. Funds in the unprogrammed appropriations for other purposes will be removed,’ he said in a mix of English and Filipino, in a radio interview.
Lacson’s remarks followed reports indicating the House of Representatives had rejected a proposal to slash the P250-billion unprogrammed appropriations when it completed its amendments to the 2026 General Appropriations bill on Friday.
House Appropriations committee chairperson Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing was quoted in reports as saying the government cannot afford to scrap contingent funding for foreign-assisted projects.
The Executive had also been quite firm on this stand, as initial reports indicated that funding for foreign-assisted projects cannot be withheld as this could imperil official development assistance (ODA) for critical programs.
Should the Senate and House maintain their conflicting stands, Lacson said the Senate will have on its side the Filipinos outraged by the corruption that was manifested in anomalous flood control and infrastructure projects.
Earlier, Lacson and his staff had confirmed the existence of flood control projects using unprogrammed funds in the budget.
‘We may have to confront this issue in the bicam. If I become a member of the Senate contingent to the bicam, I will add my voice to that of Senator Gatchalian, along with the voices of Filipinos who are outraged over corruption,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Lacson pushed anew for self-restraint among lawmakers in making amendments to the budget bill, and for introducing institutional amendments rather than individual ones for infrastructure projects that do not stem from consultations with the local governments concerned.
PCO has infra project?
GATCHALIAN has flagged an infrastructure project for the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) which the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was contracted to do.
Gatchalian cited the 2024 Commission on Audit (COA) Report that the then Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) contracted the DPWH in 2019 to build the Government Communication Academy in Bukidnon (Phase II) worth P45.7 million. COA’s 2020-2023 report listed a similar project with a different amount-P79 million. The facility has no budget allocation for 2026, as funds have already been allotted for the completion of the remaining 10 percent of construction.
‘Why does PCO have a communications office in Bukidnon?’ Gatchalian asked. The PCO explained that the project, initiated under the Benigno Aquino III administration, was originally intended as a training center for communication offices under Malacañang and its attached agencies.
‘We’ve already spent P124 million, and the project is 90 percent complete. If we don’t finish this, it becomes a white elephant,’ said Gatchalian.
The PCO reported to the Senate plans are afoot to transfer the facility to the Northern Bukidnon State College once completed.
Presidential communications officials of the Aquino III administration headed by then Secretaries Herminio Coloma and Ricky Carandang have yet to issue statements.