The House of Representatives rejected a motion on Nov. 10 to recall its ₱7.2-trillion 2027 national budget bill from the Senate for further scrutiny of disputed appropriations. The move came as concerns mounted that some provisions could run counter to constitutional limits on congressional budget amendments.
Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Roberto Nazal moved to reconsider the ₱7.2-trillion General Appropriations Bill, which the chamber had already passed on third and final reading. Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos opposed the motion, leading Deputy Speaker Yevgeny Emano to call for a voice vote that ultimately rejected the proposal.
Nazal’s motion came after the Supreme Court on Oct. 20 ruled the 2024 and 2025 national budgets unconstitutional and struck down key provisions of the 2026 budget, all of which were enacted under former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s leadership.
ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Rep. Renee Co had questioned ₱50 billion for military modernization and ₱42 billion in financial assistance to local governments. They argued that the allocations lacked sufficient specificity to satisfy constitutional requirements governing public expenditures.
Meanwhile, the People’s Budget Coalition said the House inserted nearly ₱190 billion worth of infrastructure projects into its proposed 2027 national budget without making supporting documents publicly available, while flagging more than ₱1 trillion in questionable allocations in the House-approved spending plan.
The coalition classified ₱695 billion of the amount as “hard pork” for infrastructure, ₱210 billion as “soft pork” for assistance programs and ₱112 billion as “shadow pork” through unprogrammed appropriations.
PBC co-convenor Kenneth Isaiah Abante said the group’s review identified nearly 7,000 projects added by the House without the required attachments and documentation officially mandated for congressional budget and infrastructure proposals.
