Diokno says House version of proposed 2027 national budget ‘protected the old system’

MANILA — Akbayan Party-list Representative Chel Diokno criticized the House of Representatives’ version of the proposed 2027 national budget, saying it “protected the old system”.

Diokno, who voted against House Bill 10858, said it realigned funds from education and health facilities to increase allocations for alleged “patronage-driven” assistance and supposed “unvetted” infrastructure projects.

“The budget is a reflection of our values. We cannot tell our people that we have no money for their children’s schools and their families’ medicine, while finding hundreds of billions for unvetted infrastructure and political discretion. That is why, I cannot lend my vote to this budget. I vote ‘no’ to the 2027 General Appropriations Bill,” he said.

“Sa panukalang pondo para sa 2027, napakalinaw ng sagot: pinabayaan ang mamamayan, at prinotektahan ang lumang sistema,” Diokno added.

He questioned the allocation of more than P65 billion for what he called “referral-based” medical assistance programs, such as the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Program (MAIFIP) and the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), instead of increasing support for PhilHealth.

“Pinili nating pondohan ang patronage imbis na tiyaking abot-kamay ang serbisyo. Bakit itinatali ang kalusugan ng tao sa sulat at guarantee letter ng politiko?” Diokno asked.

House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson and Palawan 2nd District Rep. Jose Alvarez denied that politicians influence who gets to access benefits from the MAIFIP and the AICS.

“Mali ‘yan. Sinasabi lang nila ‘yan. Bawal nga… Ang DSWD ang nandoon, nagpapasama lang sa tao namin, dahil mas kilala namin ‘yung mga nagke-claim. DSWD may listahan ‘yan,” he said.

Alvarez added there is neither “pork” nor “insertions” in the lower chamber’s version of the proposed 2027 national budget.

He defended the realignment of allocations to additional infrastructure projects.

“Hindi ‘yan pork… ‘Yung administration, they have to spend money for a certain year in order to attain target doon sa infrastructure, and so on and so forth. Saan mo ilalagay ‘yung pera? Syempre pupunta ka sa mga barangay, mga munisipyo, mga probinsya na nangangailangan. Nagkataon lang may congressman doon,” Alvarez explained.

“Hindi naman ako ang humingi niyan. Ang nag-decide niyan ‘yung DPWH project engineer, na ito ang kailangan nating gawin, para dahan-dahan natin magampanan ‘yung kahilingan ng taumbayan na maayos ‘yung kalsada. Nasaan ang pork dyan?” he added.

Asked about allegations that the proposed allocation for infrastructure was “politicized”, Alvarez gave this response.

“Halimbawa ako, hindi naman ako bumoto sa impeachment… nag-abstain ako. Syempre, kung ano ‘yung napupunta lang sa akin, hanggang doon lang… Hindi naman ako ang nanghingi niyan. Ang mga nagrerequest niyan ‘yung doon sa distrito ko. Nababasa ko ‘yung mga request na ‘yan, fino-forward ko lang sa kanila. But hindi ako nagrereklamo, dahil ‘yan ang nangyayari ngayon,” he said.

“Pag hindi ka bumoto sa impeachment, siguro kulang ‘yung mapupunta sa’yo as project, as national expenditure. Hindi naman ‘yun pork barrel mo komo ginastos sa distrito mo… Saan nila gagastusin ‘yung pera kung hindi sa distrito, sa munisipyo o sa syudad o sa probinsya? It has to be spent in the Phiilppines,” he added.

Alvarez also explained that the House considered absorptive capacity when it decided which allocations to realign.

“Halimbawa ‘yung DOTr, sobra-sobra ‘yung kanilang budget. At saka underperforming sila. Hindi nila nagagamit. ‘Yung 2026 nila hindi pa nga nauubos. So nag-volunteer sila na gamitin n’yo muna ito, ilipat n’yo muna ito. ‘Yun ang nilipat namin sa mga nangangailangan talaga. There’s no insertion. Nothing at all,” he said.

House Committee on Basic Education Vice Chairperson and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jan Chan seeks higher funding for school safety and security in the proposed 2027 national budget, amid campus shooting incidents.

The Department of Education had requested around P8 billion for security guards, metal detectors/walkthrough scanners, and perimeter fences in public basic education schools, but the House appropriated only P500 million.

Chan hopes the Senate and the bicam will be able to increase this proposed allocation.