House Minority Leader 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino "Nonoy" Libanan called the presence of unprogrammed appropriations (UA) amounting to ₱243.2 billion in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) "unjustiifed", but this wasn't enough for him to thumb down the budget measure.

"While I am voting yes to the passage of the 2026 [GAB] I wish to register my strong reservation with respect to the continued and unjustified presence of unprogrammed appropriations," Libanan said in his explanation during plenary session Monday afternoon, Oct. 13.

This was minutes after the House approved the proposed 2026 national budget worth ₱6.793-trillion on third and final reading via vote of 287-12-2 (yes-no-abstain).

According to Libanan, the very nature of unprogrammed funds undermines the House of Representatives' so-called power of the purse in favor of the executive branch.

"What was once conceived as a limited standby authority for contingencies has now evolved into a parallel budget system—a mechanism that undermines transparency, fiscal discipline, and the constitutional power of the purse vested in Congress," he said.

"When we examine the details, we find that these so-called unprogrammed items are not contingencies at all," Libanan said, as he posed holes into the most common argument for the existence of UA.

"They include ₱50 billion for the Revised AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) Modernization Program, ₱97.3 billion for support to foreign-assisted projects, and ₱35.7 billion for the Government of the Philippines’ counterpart funding for foreign-assisted projects—all of which are pre-planned, recurring obligations that should rightly form part of the programmed budget," he said

"Worse, a portion of the appropriated budget for the AFP would, in effect, become excess funds, allowing realignments and releases outside of congressional scrutiny," noted the majority leader.

"By parking these amounts under unprogrammed appropriations, we are effectively giving the Executive a blank check worth almost a quarter of a trillion pesos, beyond the reach of full legislative oversight," claimed Libanan. "This practice sets a dangerous precedent."

He said that in recent years, unprogrammed appropriations have ballooned from ₱251.6 billion in 2022, ₱807.1 billion in 2023, ₱731.4 billion in 2024, and with ₱363.4 billion in 2025.

"Thus, amounting to around ₱2 trillion in the last four budgets. Such bloating erodes fiscal discipline and opens the door to discretion and abuse—contrary to the principles of responsible budgeting," he pointed out.

"For these reasons, I vote yes, but with strong reservation, and urge that unprogrammed funds for the AFP modernization and foreign-assisted projects be realigned to the programmed budget, where they can be properly scrutinized, itemized, and monitored in accordance with the principles of transparency and accountability," he said.

Of the 29 minority bloc members, 11 of them voted "no" to the GAB.

The leaders of the other legislative chamber--the Senate--have vowed to do everything to scrap UA in next year's outlay.