Philippine Senate Reviews 2027 Budget Amid Pork Barrel Concerns

The Philippine Senate is currently deliberating the proposed 2027 national budget following the House of Representatives' passage of the General Appropriations Bill. Budget watchdogs have flagged approximately P1 trillion in insertions and discretionary funds within the House version of the P7.2 trillion proposal, raising concerns over lump sums and political patronage.

These deliberations occur as the government appeals a Supreme Court ruling that declared the General Appropriations Acts of 2024 and 2025, as well as portions of the 2026 act, unconstitutional due to unprogrammed appropriations. Several senators have pledged to maintain transparency during the upcoming bicameral conference intended to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the budget.

Simultaneously, the Office of the Ombudsman is reviewing the Supreme Court's ruling. The agency is determining whether public accountability measures are necessary for officials who used creative budgeting to bypass existing prohibitions on pork barrel funds.