Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Tuesday, December 16 floated the possibility of the government working on a reenacted 2026 national budget. 

Lacson stressed this amid another issue that surfaced, this time involving farm-to-market road (FMR) projects that were not properly identified. 

This, as the bicameral conference committee are still contending on two other issues—the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)'s appeal to restore its budget cuts.

“My position is - Better a reenacted budget in January or even in the entire first quarter of 2026 than an unchecked, corruption-conducive and worse, graft-ridden GAA. Most of my colleagues, at least in the majority bloc share the same sentiment,” Lacson said.

In an interview on GTV's Balitanghali, the senator said the Department of Agriculture (DA) must explain the issue on FMRs and correct it so lawmakers can finish the bicameral conference committee proceedings on time.

Based on initial information, Lacson said the DA does not know where the questionable P5-billion in FMR items came from - thus, raising the possibility of corruption rearing its head anew in the budget bill.

"Where did the new items come from? This might be another case of corruption. The public is still angry over the anomalous flood control projects, yet there seems to be an attempt to circumvent this by inserting funds into other infrastructure projects,” Lacson pointed out in the interview.

He said it is imperative for both houses of Congress to weed out all signs of corruption in the 2026 budget bill, even if it means longer deliberations and a reenacted 2025 budget for the early part of 2026.

Meanwhile, Lacson said he is prepared to agree to the DPWH’s appeal to restore its budget. This, after the DPWH, in a letter, apologized to the Senate for

“submitting” insufficient data during the bicameral discussions.

“Whatever we decide as the Senate, at least by the majority, will be conveyed to the House through the Senate panel,” he said.

“There should be no new items inserted into the budget. Otherwise, the floodgates will be opened to insertions, and we in the Senate will not allow that,” he added.

Lacson also suggested that those taking part in the bicameral conference committee uphold transparency further by disclosing their discussions during suspensions in the deliberations.

Accordingly, he said many netizens have noticed that amid the livestreaming, they do not know what went on behind the cameras when the talks were suspended.

“It would be better if they suspended the discussions but divulge what was discussed behind the cameras, to uphold transparency,” he said.