The Senate leadership was urged to preserve transparency in the crafting of the national budget as Congress prepares to deliberate on the proposed 2027 spending plan in July.
The call comes less than two months before the executive branch is expected to submit the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to lawmakers following the State of the Nation Address.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the Senate should continue efforts started under then Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate finance committee chairman Senator Sherwin Gatchalian to make the budget process more open and accountable.
“Under then Senate President Vicente Sotto III and finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, we were getting there in terms of budget transparency. I hope under Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, this can be sustained,” the lawmaker said in Filipino during a radio interview.
He said the chamber must strive to serve as a model for responsible budget legislation, especially as public scrutiny over government spending remains high.
“The Senate should be the example and the Big Brother at least in the crafting of the national budget,” he added.
Gatchalian, who chaired the Senate finance committee during deliberations on the 2026 General Appropriations Act, had pushed for safeguards aimed at improving transparency in the budget process.
Among the measures cited were the online publication of budget-related documents and efforts to identify proponents of insertions and amendments to the spending bill.
The 11-member Senate minority bloc has since expressed support for Gatchalian as Senate President, framing the move as part of a broader effort to restore the chamber’s integrity following controversies that have affected public trust in the institution.
Lacson said the transparency measures should continue under the current leadership, particularly with the next budget cycle approaching.
“We hope transparency measures will be sustained because after the State of the Nation Address on July 26, the Executive will submit the National Expenditure Program to Congress for discussion,” he said.