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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Erwin Tulfo bats for zero pork barrel in 2026 budget

Erwin Tulfo bats for zero pork barrel in 2026 budget

Published Nov 13, 2025 05:22 pm
Senator Erwin Tulfo on Thursday, Nov. 13, called on the Senate to ensure that the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 has no “pork barrel” or discretionary funds allocated to lawmakers.
Senator Erwin Tulfo (Senate PRIB photo)
Senator Erwin Tulfo (Senate PRIB photo)
The vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance pointed this out during the first day of the Upper Chamber’s plenary debates on House Bill No. 4058 or the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
“What assurance or guarantee you can give the public that is watching right now that in this 2026 national budget, there are no more pork barrels or budget for kickback, na ito po ay talagang lean and mean na budget, na hindi na po pagkakakitaan katulad ng nangyari (That it will no longer be exploited for profit like what happened) last year and in the previous years?” Tulfo said during the plenary session.
Responding to Tulfo, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian assured that the Senate version of the GAB is “corruption-free” after they required a more specific and detailed description on each budgetary item, particularly in the projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Under the Senate’s 2026 GAB version, budgetary items for infrastructure required station numbers which will provide the exact location and amount of the DPWH projects.
The Senate Finance Committee also removed the items for Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs (SAGIP), under the unprogrammed funds which the Upper Chamber identified as the source of billions worth of flood control funds in the 2023 and 2024 national budgets.
Lastly, the Senate adopted the DPWH’s decreased cost for infrastructure material, which resulted in the lowering of cost for the agency’s projects for next year.
The DPWH has been under fire after President Marcos exposed the multi-billion flood control corruption made possible by the alleged connivance of Public Works officials and lawmakers.
Infrastructure projects funded by the past and current national budgets have allegedly become the source of lawmakers’ kickbacks.
In 2023, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling that prohibits lawmakers from interfering in the implementation of government programs after the enactment of national budget laws.

Related Tags

Erwin Tulfo pork barrel 2026 budget General Appropriations Act (GAA) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
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