The Senate Minority bloc will no longer allow their colleagues in the Senate to play “hide and seek” during deliberations on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026.

Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri (Senate PRIB photo)

Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri made the remark on Monday, August 18 assuring that the opposition senators will ensure that deliberations on the 2026 national budget would be transparent by asking each senator to defend their institutional amendments, either in committee or on the Senate floor.

“We, in the minority, we will push for that. We will ask each and every senator to stand up and defend their amendment. Or at least claim that it's their amendment for their, whatever, their constituencies,” Zubiri told reporters in an interview.

“Because there are also some senators who have constituencies. But they have to defend it on the floor, or at least in the committee. Pero wala nang taguan po (But no more hiding), wala na po yung mga hide and seek ika nga (No more hide and seek). Lalo na sa mga (especially on) small group, or group of one, or group of two. Wala na dapat na ganoon (That should be removed),” said the deputy minority leader.

Zubiri made the statement in light of the Senate’s investigation into the questionable government flood control projects.

According to him, it is only appropriate for lawmakers who introduced budget insertions for flood control works be named in public and not just the contractors.

He also recalled that there were some items that were not included in Malacañang’s National Expenditure Program (NEP) that suddenly appeared in the bicameral conference committee level.

And as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee starts its investigation into these questionable flood control projects, Zubiri said “they should start naming names.”

“That's what we need to do. If you want to get rid of the corruption, we have to start naming names, cases should be filed, and the law should be implemented,” he stressed.