The House of Representatives leadership announced that it will reject infrastructure and other projects lacking complete documentation or accurate location coordinates during the upcoming Bicameral Conference Committee deliberations on the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
During a press conference on Monday, November 9, FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List Representative Brian Poe stated that missing paperwork and incorrect geotags will serve as clear grounds for removing items from the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
“No papers, no geotag or maling geotag. We will not accept projects that do not have proper papers or proper coordinates because that is unfair to the constituents,” Poe noted.
Camarines Sur 4th District Representative Arnie Fuentebella of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) confirmed that Poe’s position reflects the unified stance of the House leadership.
“Yes, and that is the stand of the leadership of the House,” Fuentebella said.
Bataan 2nd District Representative Albert Garcia, senior vice-chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations and a member of the National Unity Party (NUP), encouraged budget watchdogs to flag specific projects with questionable records so lawmakers and relevant agencies can investigate and resolve discrepancies.
“At kung may kakulangan, let us rectify it,” Garcia said.
Garcia pointed to an instance where a farm-to-market road (FMR) project was flagged because its coordinates mapped out to the sea. He explained that the issue was later identified by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as a simple typographical error in the coordinates. Fuentebella separately noted that eight other FMR projects encountered coordinate-related issues.
Addressing approximately ₱266 billion in infrastructure projects flagged by the Senate, Garcia clarified that his recent meeting with Senate Senior Majority Leader JV Ejercito did not delve into specific items within that figure, noting that the amounts will be reconciled during the bicameral conference.
Poe also cautioned the public and fellow lawmakers against throwing around large fiscal figures without precise context.
“We have to be careful when throwing around these numbers,” Poe said.
“Every time we put an item in the budget, it carries responsibility. So same thing, when we talk about the budget, let’s get our numbers right,” he added.
CALL FOR A RECONSIDERATION OF THE GAB
In a separate development, Bagong Henerasyon Party-List Representative Robert Nazal filed a motion asking the House to reconsider its approval of the 2027 GAB.
Nazal argued that a recent Supreme Court ruling on unprogrammed appropriations handed down on October 7, constitutes a material development that necessitates a fresh review of the spending measure.
Although Nazal initially voted in favor of House Bill No. 10858 on third and final reading, he maintained during a plenary session manifestation on Monday that House rules permit such a motion before the measure’s full implementation.
He questioned the swift transmittal of the bill to the Senate on October 13—only a day after its third reading approval—arguing it prematurely curtailed lawmakers’ opportunities to file motions for reconsideration.
“Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the bill has already been transmitted to the Senate. However, it was printed and transmitted on 13 October 2026, only one day after its approval on third reading,” Nazal stated.