Tito Sotto defends insertions as part of budget process, Senate's mandate
MANILA, Philippines — After revelations that some insertions may have been tied to kickback schemes in public works projects, Senate President Tito Sotto defended budget amendments as "nothing new" to the process.
The National Bureau of Investigation is pursuing a case buildup against Sens. Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, following allegations by former Department of Public Works and Highways employees that lawmakers inserted funds into the national budget in exchange for cuts.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson confirmed that flood-control items tied to Estrada and Villanueva are reflected in the 2025 budget. On a separate occasion, Lacson said that almost all senators have inserted up to P100 billion in the spending plan.
But Sotto stressed that such amendments are a normal part of the legislative process.
“Amendments, insertions or whatever you want to call it, whether individual or institutional, done during the deliberations in the Senate, are part of the regular budget process. It is within the mandate of the senators to amend and determine the government spending allocation,” Sotto said during plenary. “It serves as a crucial check-and-balance mechanism to ensure that public funds are spent in accordance with the law.”
“It is unfortunate that the issue on ghost projects and failed flood control projects affect and generalized all amendments as illegal or improper,” he added.
A common practice
Lawmakers indeed have authority to amend the National Expenditure Program—the executive branch’s proposed budget—however they see fit. Agencies often seek higher allocations than those recommended by the Department of Budget and Management, and senators add or subtract funds during deliberations.
Earlier Monday, during the Department of Transportation’s budget hearing, senators noted the agency had asked for a higher budget than proposed. Sen. Loren Legarda and Sen. JV Ejercito both said amendments are part of lawmakers’ job.
Political context
The debate over insertions has become more contentious amid the DPWH corruption scandal, which exposed alleged kickback schemes tied to flood-control projects.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had earlier warned in his State of the Nation Address that if Congress diverged from the NEP, he would refuse to sign the budget, forcing a re-enacted spending law. But after the scandal broke, Marcos appeared to soften his stance, allowing the realignment of flood-control funds to other projects.
RELATED: Marcos diverts P36-B flood control funds to DSWD programs
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