QUEZON CITY, Philippines — The National Unity Party (NUP) expressed openness to eliminating the long-standing tradition of “parliamentary courtesy,” which exempts specific high-ranking government offices from rigorous examination during congressional budget deliberations.
House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo City 1st District Representative Ronnie Puno announced the party’s stance on Thursday, November 5, following a dialogue between NUP members and the People’s Budget Coalition (PBC) at the House of Representatives in Batasan.
Puno, who serves as NUP chairman, noted that agencies traditionally shielded from extensive questioning—such as the Office of the President, the Office of the Vice President, the House of Representatives, and the Senate—should face the same level of scrutiny applied to other government bodies.
While acknowledging that altering the custom will pose challenges since the House itself is impacted, Puno emphasized the importance of accountability:
“It’s not an easy subject to talk about. But we tend to agree with this. We should not be an exception to the rule when transparency is called into order,” Puno said.
The veteran legislator clarified that parliamentary courtesy is an informal convention rather than a formal rule, meaning lawmakers possess the flexibility to modify the practice.
He suggested that deeper congressional examination of these political offices could officially begin during the deliberations for the 2028 national budget cycle.
“Parliamentary courtesy is an informal, unspoken, unwritten rule. So there’s nothing preventing us from actually delving into those agencies in the future,” he added, pointing to the 2028 budget as the target period for the shift.
The NUP’s position follows recent legislative steps on fiscal matters, including the House’s third-reading approval of the ₱7.2-trillion General Appropriations Bill for 2027 last month, which is currently pending review in the Senate.
As one of the largest political blocs in the lower chamber, the NUP’s backing signals a potential shift toward greater transparency in future budget cycles.