Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Representative Leila de Lima on Monday opposed the ratification of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), arguing that livestreaming the bicameral conference committee deliberations is not enough to ensure genuine reform.
“While the transition to a livestreamed Open Bicam is a historic step toward transparency, transparency alone is not reform. Transparency becomes hollow when what it merely broadcasts is the return of opaque, discretionary, and patronage-driven spending,” de Lima said.
She warned against “partial or selective transparency,” calling it “even more dangerous than pure opaqueness.”
“Kung nililimitahan ang saklaw ng ilaw, naitatago pa rin ang gustong itago,” she added.
De Lima reiterated her call to remove unprogrammed appropriations (UA), which she described as illegal. Instead of being scrapped, she said the bicam adopted the House’s ₱243 billion UA, higher than the Senate’s ₱174.5 billion version.
She also criticized the increased funding for what she called “patronage-heavy programs,” including ₱63.9 billion for Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), ₱51 billion for Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Program (MAIFIP), and ₱22 billion for the TUPAD program.
“Yes, this GAA offers a General Provision prohibiting political involvement and influence in the distribution of such forms of cash and other financial assistance, but is this General Provision enough? Sa eleksyon, ipinagbabawal din naman ang mga politiko at ang mga tarpaulin nila sa mga ayuda distribution events, hindi ba? Yet just one online search would reveal multiple violations,” she said.
De Lima also expressed dismay over the ₱1.049 billion increase in Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF), which now total ₱12 billion.
“Such funds were even given to agencies with no primary security mandate. Bakit binibigyan ng ‘secret funds’ ang DENR, DSWD, BIR, at ang Bureau of Customs? Bakit maging ang ARTA, na dating zero (0), biglang nagkaroon ng ₱6.7 million?” she asked.
“Worse, these allocations were never deliberated upon during the livestreamed sessions of the Bicam. The amendments amounting to ₱1.049 billion were not even included in the summary of amendments provided by the Bicam at all!” de Lima added.
The former senator and justice secretary concluded that the 2026 GAB cannot be considered a true People’s Budget.