House Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong made no admission on the supposed presence of "pork barrel" in the proposed 2026 national budget worth P6.793 trillion.

Adiong, a vice chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, issued this clarification in a statement Tuesday, Dec. 23 following an online news interview, wherein he allegedly made this admission.

“I wish to make it clear that I did not confirm the presence of pork in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB). Within the context of the longer clip, I in fact stated the opposite," Adiong said.

"As I was interrupted while giving my answer on the budget deliberations, my train of thought remained squarely on those deliberations. In responding with a ‘Yes,’ I was merely recognizing the host’s interjection and the people’s apprehension regarding ‘pork’ in the budget,” he explained.

Pork barrel is a catch-all term for lawmakers' discretionary funds, which are prone to misuse and abuse. It has since become symbolic of corruption in any form of budget.

“If you notice," Adiong said of the interview, "Immediately after that point, I described what pork barrel funds are in general, which are lump sum funds."

"Thereafter followed by a clear and distinct ‘but’ then immediately described the 2026 budget, from NEP to bill, as one composed entirely of line-by-line appropriations," he said.

"Clearly the intention was to recognize the apprehension and to rebut the apprehension thoroughly," he noted.

NEP, or National Expenditure Program, is the basis for the GAB. It emanates from the executive branch.

Adiong reiterated that the 2026 budget contains no lump sum appropriations characteristic of a pork barrel system. “The [NEP]] submitted to Congress is composed entirely of line-by-line appropriations, with specific projects, purposes, and implementing agencies clearly identified.”

Highlighting the legislative process, he added: "The budget was subjected to rigorous scrutiny throughout the legislative process. All adjustments were limited to increases or decreases within existing line items and were openly deliberated upon by Congress. These changes did not create discretionary lump sums or hidden allocations.”

“The 2026 national budget is therefore not a pork barrel budget, [or] does it contain pork barrel appropriations, as it fully complies with constitutional standards of transparency, specificity, and accountability,” Adiong concluded.