Palace tells Sara Duterte to attend Bicam if she doubts 2027 budget

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday urged Vice President Sara Duterte to attend the bicameral conference committee (Bicam) hearings on the proposed 2027 national budget to better understand how the funds are allocated.

The invitation came after Duterte claimed that the proposed budget was being used to pressure senator-judges in her impeachment trial and reward lawmakers who voted to impeach her.

READ: Sara Duterte sees 2027 budget being used to ‘reward’ her conviction

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Palace Press Officer Claire Castro countered Duterte’s claims, saying the vice president had no evidence to support them.

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“This is what the president said: evidence, evidence, evidence. It is easy to point fingers, but difficult to prove allegations,” she said at a briefing.

“If she has doubts about the budget, and considering that Congress is now handling it, perhaps she should attend the bicameral conference committee hearings, if they have already begun, rather than undermine the impeachment court,” she added.

READ: Senators deny 2027 budget used to pressure them to convict Sara Duterte 

Duterte linked the impeachment proceedings to allegations of cash distribution and political maneuvering surrounding the proposed 2027 national budget, questioning whether public funds were being used to influence senator-judges and House members.

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“Is the budget being used to serve the Filipino people, or has it become a bargaining chip to pressure senators who will sit as judges and reward those who vote ‘yes’ in the House of Representatives?” she asked.

“If impeachment and the national budget are being used as instruments of political survival of the corrupt, then it is the people—not the defense counsel—who are being taken for granted,” she said.

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At an earlier briefing, Castro denied that Malacañang had any role in the prosecution’s decision to limit Duterte’s impeachment trial to one article, maintaining that the executive branch would not interfere in the proceedings.

Ejercito urged to raise concerns during Bicam

The Palace official also responded to Senate finance committee chair JV Ejercito’s concerns over nearly P260 billion in realignments in the House of Representatives’ version of the proposed 2027 budget. Ejercito flagged funding cuts affecting transportation, health, and disaster-related programs.

Castro said the senator could raise his concerns during the Bicam proceedings.

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“They can scrutinize everything there. If there is anything wrong, they can discuss it. The president and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) have assured the public, as I reported before and as you have already reported, that they will not allow the funds allocated for 2027 to be used for unauthorized purposes. Every peso of the budget must go to the Filipino people,” she added. /mcm