Rebuilding public trust in government and Congress stands as a primary hurdle during deliberations for the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 following controversies surrounding anomalous flood control projects, according to Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito.
Ejercito, who leads the Senate Committee on Finance, stressed the urgency of restoring faith in the country’s financial process following recent scandals.
“Tuloy ang ating reporma, ang ating budget process kasi yung challenge natin dito, maibalik yung tiwala ng taumbayan sa ating gobyerno at sa budget process,” he said in a radio interview.
“Bunsod nung flood control scandal, talagang malaking damage sa buong gobyerno lalo na sa Kongreso,” Ejercito noted.
To improve transparency, the finance chief urged news organizations and civil society watchdogs to actively monitor committee proceedings and highlight any irregularities.
“Yung mga watchdog, mga media, ini-encourage namin sa hearings na mag-participate. Kung may nakita silang hindi kanais-nais o may kababalaghan, ipag-bigay alam sa atin so we can confront the agencies,” he urged.
The finance panel has already initiated budget reviews for several government entities, including the Department of Health, the Commission on Audit, and the Office of the Ombudsman.
The committee cleared the Office of the Ombudsman’s proposed ₱7.232-billion allocation for 2027 at the committee level on Thursday, advancing the measure to plenary debates.
Ejercito reiterated that the Senate will hold firm on its policy to deny appropriations for any new flood control infrastructure in 2027 that fails to align with the national government’s master plan.