Senator JV Ejercito vowed tightened scrutiny in the national budget process, including efforts to prevent last-minute insertions and post-enactment interventions as Congress begins deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget.

“Ang hamon sa atin bilang Finance Committee Chairman ay hindi lamang bumuo ng budget, kundi ibalik ang tiwala ng publiko sa paraan ng paggastos ng pamahalaan (The challenge for us as Finance Committee Chairman is not only to craft the budget, but also to restore the public’s trust in how the government spends its money),” he said.

Ejercito said he would seek to make the Bicameral Conference Committee proceedings open to the public and publish budget documents online to allow greater scrutiny of changes made before the General Appropriations Bill is enacted.

His proposals come as allegations of “leadership funds” and budget insertions have resurfaced following the flood control scandal, including claims that lawmakers had access to large allocations for identifying projects.

Ejercito stressed, however, that efforts to improve transparency should not undermine Congress' constitutional authority over the national budget, including its power to review and amend the executive's proposed spending plan.

“Ang power of the purse ay hindi lamang kapangyarihan, kundi tungkulin na iniatas ng Constitution sa Congress. Kasama sa mandato na ito ang pag-aaral, pagsusuri, at pagbusisi ng bawat item sa proposed national budget (The power of the purse is not merely a power, but a duty entrusted by the Constitution to Congress. This mandate includes studying, reviewing, and scrutinizing every item in the proposed national budget),” he said.

Ejercito said the bicameral conference committee should not be used as a venue for making changes away from public scrutiny.

“Gagawin nating open to the public ang lahat ng hearing hanggang sa Bicameral Conference Committee. Ang bicam ay hindi dapat maging backdoor para baguhin ang mga pondong dumaan na sa masusing pagdinig ng Senado at Kamara (We will make all hearings open to the public, including those of the Bicameral Conference Committee. The bicam should not become a backdoor for changing funds that have already undergone thorough scrutiny by the Senate and the House of Representatives),” Ejercito said.

He said budget documents and information would be made available online so the public could track changes from the proposed National Expenditure Program to the versions approved by the Senate and House of Representatives, and eventually the bicameral committee's final output.

Ejercito said Congress should continue to allow legitimate amendments, including project proposals endorsed by local governments and adjustments requested by government departments and agencies, provided these undergo the proper plenary process and address needs not included in the original proposal.

He said, however, that senators should not take part in decisions involving projects after the budget has been enacted. Agencies and departments should retain authority to validate and implement the projects, he said.

“We as senators can only propose, but it’s the agencies or departments that will validate. We will prevent last-minute insertions and even post-enactment interventions,” Ejercito said.

Ejercito also rejected calls for a blanket suspension of infrastructure projects following the flood control controversy, saying legitimate projects should continue while those responsible for ghost projects should be held accountable.

“Hindi naman dahil nagkaroon ng scandal, ititigil natin yung mga maayos na proyekto (Just because there was a scandal does not mean we should stop legitimate projects),” he said.

He warned that a slowdown in government spending could further weigh on economic growth, which he said had fallen from 7 percent to 5 percent and more recently to 2 percent.

“We are for accountability, but development has to continue. If we stop good and reasonable infrastructure projects, government spending will also slow down, and that will affect our economy. Our economy has to continue,” he said.

Ejercito said the government must maintain accountability over public funds while ensuring that legitimate spending and infrastructure development continue to support economic activity.