Makabayan reso seeks recall, correction of House budget bill

MANILA (UPDATED) — The three-member Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives has filed a resolution for the chamber to recall House Bill No. 10858, or the proposed 2027 national budget bill, to “rectify the constitutional violations embedded in the measure.”

The resolution formalizes a call made by bloc member ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. Antonio Tinio in October in light of a Supreme Court ruling striking down the 2024 and 2025 national budgets and part of the 2026 budget for “unconstitutional” lump sum allocations.

Tinio, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago and Kabataan Party-List Rep. Renee Louise Co said in a release that the 2027 budget bill “is riddled with” lump sums meant for multiple purposes , which they said is ” the very scheme the court declared unconstitutional.”

The resolution seeks to address concerns on alleged abuse of unprogrammed appropriations and accusations of “massive insertions of infrastructure projects.”

It also cited alleged “persistence of billions of prohibited lump sums, and lack of transparency in the budget process.”

They highlighted the P58.53-billion Local Government Support Fund in the proposed national budget, which they said ” lacks any concrete, project-level breakdown, effectively functioning as a post-enactment discretionary pork barrel allocation for local chief executives.” 

BH Party List Representative Robert Nazal on Monday also moved for the House to reconsider its approval of the budget, citing the recent Supreme Court ruling.

“Given the Supreme Court’s ruling and these procedural concerns… As one of those who voted with the majority in favor of the approval on third and final reading of House Bill 10858… I now move for its reconsideration,” he said.

Nazal’s motion was seconded. But the session was immediately suspended soon after.

When session resumed after 20 minutes, there was a move to suspend the privilege hour, which was carried without objections.

Co said the House has “to take responsibility for its part” in the budget process, adding “we also have to ensure accountability from the other parts like the Senate, like the Executive.” 

The Makabayan lawmakers also criticized House Bill No. 10858 for a lack of documentation on the amendments made by the Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee despite calls for a more transparent budget process.

They said the subcommittee “neither livestreamed its proceedings nor published the documents upon which it based its amendments”  and did not submit an itemized report on the changes.

“An amendment process without an itemized public report is not deliberation — it is concealment,” they said.

The bloc, which voted against the bill, said the House “must now correct its own mistakes” by recalling the bill, removing “prohibited lump sums” and releasing “a full itemized report of the [subcommittee]’s amendments as well of all amendment proponents.”

Tinio said a recall of the House budget bill potentially delaying enactment is a “non-issue” since he believes there is enough time for the chamber to correct the alleged errors.

“Kung ma-delay man ito, ilang araw lang ‘yan na made-delay. So walang epekto sa operasyon ng government kung magkaroon ng reenacted budget for a few days or even a few weeks,” he added.

(Even if it is delayed, it will just be for a few days. Having a reenacted budget for a few days or even a few weeks will not affect government operations.)