A live broadcast of bicameral conference committee meetings does not automatically ensure transparency and could even turn into a “performance” agreed upon by its members, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio warned on Friday.
While Tinio acknowledged that livestreaming bicam deliberations is a step forward, he said much of the real decision-making still happens behind closed doors, including possible deals on budget amendments.
“There’s a lot that happened behind the scene and essentially, what we see in the livestream is what they want us to see,” Tinio told ANC’s Headstart.
“Our fear is that what we will get is a performance with the amendments agreed upon behind the scene.”
He cautioned the public not to view livestreaming as the ultimate solution for transparency.
“We should be careful not to see it as the be-all and end-all to make the process transparent,” he added.
Calls for Accountability
Tinio also urged the public to demand detailed reports on the proposed amendments, including the names of proponents and their reasons, to ensure accountability.
“I think it’s important that we ask that the proponents of the amendment are clearly identified. Para malinaw kanino nanggaling yung amendment, anong dahilan so malinaw din yung accountability for that particular amendment,” he said.
Earlier this week, the House of Representatives approved the ₱6.79-trillion 2026 national budget on its third and final reading, amid concerns over the ₱200-billion unprogrammed appropriations.
Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Committee on Finance, expressed optimism about reducing unprogrammed appropriations in the Senate’s version of the 2026 budget.