Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri considers the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 as one of the most responsive and progressive budgets ever in the country's history.

On Wednesday, Dec. 20, President Marcos signed the budget, which he said prioritizes programs that advance social and economic transformation.

Zubiri said that they could have made it a P6-trillion budget but they didn't and kept it within a small margin from last year's budget, as they intended to curb the national debt.

He lauded the budget, which increased funds for social services such as the Tulong Panghanap-buhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

He also said that they increased funds for emergency response.

Defense budget

Zubiri also mentioned that they increased the defense budget for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Air Force, and the Philippine Army that will help boost the State's protection of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the rest of the country.

"Sa security cluster umabot ng almost P10.2 billion ang nadagdagan (In the security cluster we added almost P10.2 billion). We're buying three big ships for the Coast Guard, and ang plano po namin ni Presidente, kausap ko po ang pangulo, ang plano po ay gawin na po natin ito dito sa Pilipinas (and I talked to the President, and our plan is to have it built in the country)," he said.

So there's an Australian company that builds Australian navy ships, Austal, they're based in Balamban, Cebu, they're looking to be awarded this budget for ship construction. Para sa ganun, Pilipino na po ang gagawa ng barko na magdedepensa sa WPS (So that Filipinos will be the ones constructing the boats that will defend WPS)," he added.

Bigger budget for infrastructure

Zubiri noted that based on the body language of Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, nothing appeared to have been vetoed in the budget.

"Kung mayroon, wala namang significant (If there is, it's nothing significant)," he said.

"So ang kagandahan nito, malaki ang nilagay din po natin dito para sa imprastraktura. Nandito na rin yung pondo para sa tulay connecting Cavite and Bataan, nandito na rin po ang pondo para madagdagan ang tulay papunta ng Iloilo, Guimaras and Negros (What's great here is, we placed a big budget for infrastructure. This includes the funds for the bridge connecting Cavite and Bataan, funds for additional bridges to Iloilo, Guimaras and Negros)," he explained.

He added that there will be massive infrastructure projects that would be the considered landmark projects of the President.

Pimentel to question the budget

As for Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel's intention to question the budget before the Supreme Court (SC), Zubiri said that it's his prerogative to do so.

Pimentel criticized the additional P450-billion unprogrammed funds in the final version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB). He called the 2024 budget "unconstitutional" because of this.

"I've said this in many interviews sabi ko yung unprogrammed funds, halos 21 budgets na ang dinaanan ko, halos kalahati ng 21 budgets na yan may unprogrammed funds. Ang importante diyan, line item siya and awaiting funding kapag mayroon na tayong extra funds for government (I said that about the unprogrammed funds, I've been through 21 budgets, almost half of those 21 budgets has unprogrammed funds. What's important is it's a line item and awaiting funding if there are extra funds from the government)," Zubiri said.

"I think ang ipinagbabawal ng Supreme Court yung mga lump sum, katulad dati yung DAP, yung Development Assistance Program, wala yan sa budget eh. So ito, nakalagay po sa budget, line item yan, and awaiting for reserved funding if there's additional surplus funding, pwede po mabudgetan yan (I think what the SC prohibits are lump sumps, such as the DAP, it's not in the budget. But this is in the budget, it's a line item, and awaiting for reserved funding if there's additional surplus funding, it can be given a budget)," he added.

Pimentel refused to comment on the budget's enactment Wednesday.

"That’s presidential prerogative just as any citizen has the prerogative too of questioning the constitutionality of the budget law," he said in a text message to reporters.

Asked again if he would push through with questioning the 2024 GAA before the SC, he said that a "legal study" was ongoing.