ANC: Rep. Nazal seeks reconsideration of House-approved 2027 budget, citing SC ruling

A member of the House of Representatives has moved to reconsider the chamber’s approval of the proposed 2027 national budget, citing a recent Supreme Court ruling that declared certain special provisions of the 2026 national budget unconstitutional.

BH Party-list Representative Robert Nazal made the motion on Monday, asking the House to revisit its third and final reading approval of House Bill No. 10858, or the proposed 2027 General Appropriations Bill.

Nazal said the House-approved 2027 budget contained provisions “substantially similar” to those struck down by the Supreme Court.

His motion was seconded, but the House had yet to act on it as of Monday.

Earlier in the day, lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution No. 1583, urging the chamber to recall its proposed 2027 budget in light of the same Supreme Court ruling.

The resolution called for flagged provisions to be corrected before the measure proceeds to Senate deliberations and the bicameral conference committee, saying the House must “rectify its own mistakes.”

Representative Renee Co said the House must take responsibility for its role in crafting the budget and ensure accountability from the Senate and the executive branch.

House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno had previously said there was no need to recall the proposed budget, arguing that necessary adjustments could still be made during Senate deliberations and the bicameral conference committee proceedings.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III defended the chamber’s amendments to the proposed 2027 national budget, saying lawmakers considered the absorptive capacity of government agencies when revising allocations.

In a speech before the House plenary, Dy said additional funding was directed toward education programs, including scholarships and school safety initiatives; health services, particularly medical assistance; and agriculture, to help the country prepare for the threat of El Niño.

Dy also ordered an oversight review of government agencies’ 2026 spending to determine whether allocated funds were used within the prescribed period and for their intended purposes.

The House speaker also announced plans to launch a transparency platform on the chamber’s website, which would provide details of projects proposed by House members.

The initiative comes amid calls for full disclosure of congressional district allocations in the proposed 2027 national budget, following concerns raised by budget watchdogs, senators and opposition lawmakers.

Navotas City Representative Toby Tiangco, meanwhile, filed House Resolution No. 1590, urging the House Committee on Appropriations to present the proposed 2027 appropriations for the chamber for committee discussion and plenary deliberations.

He said any amendments approved by the House should be transmitted to the Senate for consideration during its budget deliberations.

Tiangco warned that failure to address concerns over the process could expose the House’s approval of its own appropriations to a legal challenge before the Supreme Court.

Southern Leyte First District Representative Roger Mercado supported Tiangco’s call, citing a reduction in the proposed allocation for projects in his district.

Mercado said the amount was cut from P498.8 million under the National Expenditure Program to P142.3 million under the House-approved General Appropriations Bill.

He claimed the reduction came after he voted against the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying he felt ostracized and discouraged from participating in the 2027 budget hearings.

But House Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson Albert Garcia rejected allegations that the chamber’s version of the proposed 2027 budget was politicized.

The Bataan Second District representative said lawmakers were advocating for the needs of their respective districts, stressing that allocations were based on local requirements rather than political considerations.

Garcia made the statement after ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio flagged large allocations for Department of Public Works and Highways district engineering offices covering the congressional districts of House leaders.

Garcia said there was nothing wrong with allocating funds for programs that address people’s needs, provided these were supported by the necessary documents and properly implemented.

He also maintained that allocations per district had already been reduced following budget reforms.

Tinio, however, expressed disbelief over Garcia’s assertion that there were no pork barrel funds or insertions in the proposed 2027 budget.

He questioned why some congressional districts received more than P11 billion in projects while others received nothing or as little as P50 million.

Tinio argued that the distribution appeared to be based on political influence rather than actual local needs.

He also dismissed concerns that recalling the proposed budget could lead to a reenacted spending plan, saying there was still enough time for lawmakers to revisit and correct the measure. – ANC, The World Tonight, November 9, 2026