The House of Representatives rejected proposals from Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco that sought to force the chamber into greater transparency by publicly disclosing its expenditures and the infrastructure projects assigned to each congressional district.
Under the first proposal, the House would have been required to publish quarterly breakdowns of its spending and annual reports detailing the expenses of individual lawmakers on its official website. The second sought the publication of an itemized list of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects per legislative district, making it easier to track where infrastructure funds are allocated.
“These provisions seek to strengthen the credibility of the House as an institution by demonstrating that accountability applies equally to everyone entrusted with public funds. If we demand transparency from the executive, we must be prepared to demonstrate transparency ourselves,” Tiangco said.
However, House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Mikaela Suansing on October 7 opposed the amendments, explaining that auditing government expenditures falls under the Commission on Audit’s authority. She also maintained that information on infrastructure projects under district engineering offices can already be accessed through Department of Budget and Management records.
Tiangco has repeatedly pushed for closer scrutiny of congressional spending amid controversies involving questionable infrastructure allocations and flood-control projects. He previously called for district-level DPWH budget disclosures to help identify unusual increases in funding and possible irregularities.
The rejection also followed Tiangco’s unsuccessful attempt on September 21 to reopen deliberations on Congress’ proposed ₱27.89-billion budget for 2027. He had questioned why discussions were moved from September 24 to September 17, when he was abroad on official business, leaving him unable to participate in the scheduled scrutiny of congressional funds.
