Philippine Budget Signing Postponed Amid Corruption Claims

Malacanang announced on Wednesday that the scheduled signing of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) on December 20 will not proceed, following a former finance official's claim that the spending plan is “the most corrupt in Philippine history.”

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin stated that the signing will be postponed “to allow more time for a rigorous and exhaustive review of a measure that will determine the course of the nation for the next year.” The review will be conducted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with major department heads.

Certain items and provisions of the national budget bill are confirmed to be vetoed for public welfare, fiscal program adherence, and legal compliance, Bersamin noted. Concerns have been raised by lawmakers regarding budget cuts in the proposed GAA, including a P12 billion reduction for the Department of Education and the elimination of subsidies for PhilHealth.

Former Senator Panfilo Lacson highlighted that the combined budget for education agencies remains lower than that of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel warned that prioritizing infrastructure projects over education in the proposed budget could raise constitutional issues.

Earlier, President Marcos Jr. had promised to restore a P10 billion cut from the DepEd budget intended for computerization. Economist Cielo Magno criticized PhilHealth’s alleged failure to utilize allocated funds, suggesting leadership changes rather than withholding funding that could expand coverage.

Magno also condemned a P50 billion cut from the conditional cash transfer program aiding poor families. She pointed out that DPWH received an additional P289 billion despite not requesting it, while the Senate and House budgets were increased by P1 billion and P18.8 billion, respectively.