By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is expecting that there will be no “useless” congressional insertions in the proposed 2026 national budget, Malacañang said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos Jr. would not hesitate to veto the proposed budget if there were changes that do not conform to the administration’s priorities.
This, as Castro stressed that the National Expenditure Program (NEP) was carefully prepared and crafted by Marcos and his Cabinet.
“Sa pagsasagawa po nito, iniisa-isa po ito kasama ang Pangulo at lahat ng Cabinet secretaries. At kung anuman po ang nabuo dito, ibig sabihin po, iyan po ang dapat na paglalaanan ng pondo,” Castro said.
“Hindi po dapat abusuhin iyong sinasabing power of the purse at maraming magkaroon kung mayroon mang insertions at hindi mapapakinabangan na tunay. Iyan lamang po ang gusto ng Pangulo.”
Castro said Marcos is open to making bicameral budget deliberations open to the public to ensure that the spending plan is “clean”.
Asked if Marcos would veto a budget with anomalous insertions made during the budget deliberations, Castro said it would depend on the changes.
“Kung ang mga insertion na ito ay masasabi naman po natin na may kabuluhan, malamang po ay hindi ma-veto, pero kapag nakita po nila na wala naman po itong pupuntahan at maaaring madala lamang sa pang-aabuso, hindi po maga-atubili ang Pangulo na ito ay i-veto,” she said.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on Tuesday warned of possible delays in the implementation of programs, activities, and projects (PAPs), if there would be changes in the 2026 NEP, also known as the President’s budget.
Marcos, in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, said he would veto the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) if it is not aligned with the NEP.
The NEP is the national government’s spending plan for the next fiscal year and serves as the basis of Congress in crafting the GAB, which then becomes the General Appropriations Act once signed into law by the President.
Marcos, on July 15, approved the proposed P6.793-trillion budget for 2026, the country’s highest to date, which is expected to support key programs in education, infrastructure, digitalization, health, and social services.
