Budget watchdogs urged to report 'red flags' to Palace

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Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Tuesday urged civil society organizations (CSOs) to report “red flags” in the proposed 2027 national budget to Malacañang to help President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. review it before signing.

“Sa mga nagbabantay ng budget, kung meron kayong kopya na inyong nakita at napansin na red flag, ipagbigay-alam niyo lang po sa amin, bigyan niyo kami ng kopya, mismo ang PCO dahil kakailanganin din po ito ng Pangulo,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said during a press briefing.

(To those who are watching the budget, if you have a copy where you see a red flag, just let us know, give the Presidential Communications Office a copy because the President will also need it.)

Castro added that Malacañang is also willing to conduct a meeting with SCOs to assess the 2027 national budget.

The People's Budget Coalition (PBC) has cautioned against over a trillion pesos worth of “red flags” under the proposed P7.2 trillion national budget for fiscal year 2027.

PBC co-convenor AJ Montesa said that under the 2027 budget, P210 billion was ‘soft pork’ in the form of patronage-driven financial assistance.

Meanwhile, P695 billion was ‘hard pork,’ which consists of politicized infrastructure projects; and P112 billion in ‘shadow pork,’ or unprogrammed appropriations.

Castro said the President would not intervene with Congress' work due to the separation of power, but asked not to reduce the proposed budget to ensure that the projects are not delayed.

“Ang proyekto na nakasaad sa proposed budget, huwag na bawasan dahil matitigil o magiging sanhi ito para ma-delay ang mga proyektong dapat natapusin sa administrasyon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr.,” Castro said.

(The projects included in the proposed budget should not be reduced, as doing so could halt or delay projects that are meant to be completed during the administration of President Marcos Jr.)

She also warned government officials against making insertions in the budget.

“Ang pondo ng bayan hindi dapat inaabuso. Ang pondo ng bayan ay dapat sa taong-bayan, hindi sa bulsa ng ninuman,” she said.

(Public funds should not be abused. It should go to the people, not into the pockets of anyone.)

“Hindi papayagan ng Pangulo ang anumang budget amendments kung ito ay walang sapat na dokumento, walang tamang deskripsiyion at walang kahihinatnan ng proyekto. Hindi yan papayagan ng Pangulo,” she added.

(The President will not allow any budget amendments that lack sufficient documentation, proper descriptions, or clear project outcomes. The President will not permit that.)

Senate finance committee chairperson JV Ejercito earlier committed to inviting CSOs to observe the bicameral conference committee deliberations on the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for fiscal year 2027.

Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the majority bloc is supporting efforts to remove questionable allocations from the proposed 2027 budget and ensure transparency in the budget-making process. — BAP, GMA News