Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson underscored on Saturday, Nov. 22, that the Senate will not allow the reenactment next year of the 2025 national budget--the same budget that had earlier been described as corrupt to the core.

Lacson says this is why the Senate is adopting measures to ensure transparency in the deliberations on the budget bill, including the livestreaming of the bicameral conference committee.

"Napaka-importante ang budget kasi pag wala tayong budget reenacted tayo. Medyo hindi namin papayagang magkaganoon kasi napakalaking lump sum appropriations kung gagamitin mo ang budget ng 2025 na napakarami pa ngang problema (Passing the 2026 budget bill is important. Without it, we may have a reenacted budget, and we will not allow that. If the 2025 budget is reenacted, we will see large lump sum appropriations coming from a 2025 budget that has had so many problems)," he told Usapang Senado on DWIZ.

Lacson, an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget, pointed out that the Senate had to adjust the schedule of its deliberations after certain issues cropped.

He cited the extension of the deliberations on the general principles of the budget from one day to three days. He also cited the issues raised during the deliberation of the 2026 allocation of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

"Many anomalies were bared in the deliberation of the NIA's budget so they need to return. These are unforeseen circumstances," he said.

But Lacson says there is a chance that the reforms they adopted - including the livestreaming of the bicameral conference committee and the disallowing of "alien" items - could speed up the process because it will discourage insertions to the bill.

"The best reform introduced so far is that the bicam will not allow the insertion of any item that is not in the Senate or House version. This way, we will simplify and even possibly shorten the proceedings as there will be no more insertions or dealings," he said.