House Assistant Minority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal has echoed calls for the removal of unprogrammed appropriations in the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or annual budget measure.

This, as the House of Representatives looks to approve the P6.793-trillion GAB for 2026--the biggest in the country’s history--on second reading this coming Friday, Oct. 10.

In a statement Wednesday, Oct. 8, Nazal said unprogrammed appropriations have a backdoor for discretionary spending that weakens fiscal discipline and oversight.

During the plenary deliberations on the 2026 national budget, Nazal questioned the need to retain unprogrammed funds, which he called “a source of flexibility, perhaps too much flexibility.”

“If we had our way, there would be no unprogrammed funds at all. If there are new or excess revenues, let us just pass a supplemental budget,” Nazal said.

"Kadalasan, naabuso at pinagsasamantalahan lamang ang mga nasa unprogrammed funds. Enero pa lang ay nire-release na, ano ang ibig sabihin nun? (Oftentimes, unprogrammed funds get abused and misused. It gets released as early as January, what does that say about it?)" he added.

He warned that special provisions allowing the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to shift funds among authorized purposes defeat the intent of line-item budgeting. It turns unprogrammed funds into a discretionary lump sum, which has long been thought to be prone to corruption.

“These provisions let DBM move funds around to cover deficiencies elsewhere. That should concern all of us who fought for transparency. In light of the Supreme Court (SC) rulings on lump sums and pork barrel, shouldn’t we consider deleting these provisions altogether?” he asked.

Nazal’s proposal gained support from senior lawmakers even in the Senate.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Committee on Finance Chairman Senator Sherwin Gatchalian later echoed the call to prohibit unprogrammed funds in the 2026 budget, except for debt servicing and other automatic appropriations.

Nazal added that in times of urgent fiscal need, Congress can pass a supplemental budget to ensure transparency and proper legislative scrutiny.

“If there is an urgent need, the Constitution already provides the solution—a supplemental budget approved by Congress. That’s how we preserve the power of the purse and protect taxpayers’ money,” he said.

Former BH Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera said ditching unprogrammed appropriations will help rebuild public trust in the budget process and prevent misuse of funds.

“This is not just about numbers; it’s about integrity. The people deserve a budget that is honest, transparent, and accountable. Every peso must be traceable, defensible, and used for its true purpose,” Herrera said.