Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. is backing calls to open the bicameral conference on the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget to the public, saying live-streaming the deliberations would allow taxpayers to see how government funds are allocated and spent.
Speaking at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, Abante said transparency should extend to the bicameral conference committee, where lawmakers from the House of Representatives and Senate reconcile differences in their respective versions of the national budget.
“Palagay ko dapat maging transparent tayo sa bicam. Dapat talagang makita,” Abante said. “I think we should be transparent in the bicameral conference. That really needs to be seen.”
He said representatives from religious organizations, the education sector, civil society groups and other stakeholders should also be allowed to observe the proceedings.
“Ako, naniniwala ako na sa bicam, kinakailangan imbitahin lahat ‘yung mga religious, educators, civil societies, lahat yan imbitahan para makita nila na wala tayong anumang tinatago sa taong bayan,” he said.
Abante stressed that there should be no secrecy surrounding the national budget, including provisions covering unprogrammed appropriations and automatic appropriations.
The public, he said, deserves to know where funds come from, what projects they will finance, how much money has been allocated and which agencies will be responsible for implementation.
“Kinakailangan malaman ng taong-bayan kung saan nagmumula ‘yan, kung saan nanggagaling ‘yan, kung anong klaseng project ‘yan, kung paano i-implement ‘yan, at kung magkano na budget ang ibinigay diyan, at kung sino ang mag-i-implement,” Abante said.
The proposed P7.2-trillion spending plan for 2027 is about six percent higher than the P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026. It includes P111.9 billion in unprogrammed appropriations, which can only be released once specific funding conditions are met.
The Department of Education is set to receive the largest allocation at P976 billion.
The House is scheduled to begin deliberations on the proposed national budget on Monday, with lawmakers targeting approval of the 2027 General Appropriations Bill by Oct. 9.
Abante said the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is unlikely to derail the budget timetable.
“Nakita naman natin na four hours lang ang impeachment court. Sa umaga nagsisimula, 3 p.m. deliberation na ‘yan, so, I don’t think na maaapektuhan din ‘yan. It will go on,” he said.
Acting Department of Budget and Management Secretary Kim de Leon has likewise expressed support for opening bicameral deliberations to public scrutiny, saying greater access could help build a more transparent, accountable and participatory budget process.
For Abante, allowing Filipinos to follow the final stages of budget negotiations would reinforce a basic principle of government spending: taxpayers should be able to see where their money is going.