Bicam by cam

As another budget season approaches, the call for transparency in the bicameral conference committee (Bicam) becomes increasingly relevant, given that the final steps of the budget bill are undertaken in the body.

Only Congress based on its rules can make the process transparent.

The bicam is a joint panel of select members of the House of Representatives and the Senate tasked with reconciling the conflicting provisions in bills passed by both chambers, including the national budget.

The budget process begins with the executive branch submitting the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to Congress, which becomes the basis for the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

The House then passes its version of the GAB, followed by the Senate. The bicameral committee reconciles the differences to come up with a final version for ratification by both chambers and then sends the enrolled bill to the President for his signature.

Bicam deliberations have always been conducted behind closed doors, raising concerns about swift amendments, realignments, insertions and political maneuverings.

The lack of transparency undermines the public trust and was cited for the insertion with ease of blanks in the 2025 bicam report, blanks that were believed to be the conduit for the legislative pork barrel.

In the Bicam mystery, the item for the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Program saw a reduction of P17.708 billion and the National Programs for Rice, Corn, and other crops lost P9.712 billion, changes that were initially blank in the report.

While President Marcos and Senate President Francis Escudero denied there were blank items, some Bicam members attested that there were. Who filled in the blanks? The question has remained unanswered.

Speaker Martin Romualdez, along with the leadership of the House, has called for opening bicameral conference committee meetings on the yearly budget to the media.

Fiscal watchdogs commended the move but urged Congress to go a step further by livestreaming the bicam budget deliberations.

The presence of cameras has proven effective in reducing shenanigans on the streets and it should work the same way in the Bicam to prevent budget irregularities, according to a group that constantly monitors the yearly process.

Technical budget hearings at the executive level, Congress committee hearings, technical working groups and other crucial discussions where laws and policies are shaped must also be monitored.

Social Watch Philippines, one of the groups advocating for bicameral transparency, noted that critical decisions on budgets and laws often occur out of public view, allowing for significant reallocations and insertions without explanation.

It cited the insertion of Special Provision 1(d) in the 2024 budget, which enabled the Department of Finance to siphon off P89.9 billion in PhilHealth funds.

In the 2024 and 2025 budget anomalies, the Senate leadership in the bicam was believed to have conspired with the executive to insert questionable provisions and juggle funds.

“The Bicam should not go beyond its mandate to reconcile differences and act as a third chamber. Rules and guidelines that comprehensively transform the transparency and accountability of the legislative phase must be in place. No stage or steps should ever be hidden,” the group stressed.

Opaque processes often foster a suspicion of underhanded dealings, particularly when they involve the annual government budget.

The call for transparency must be heeded and public pressure must be applied to block legislators’ efforts to resurrect the unconstitutional pork barrel system.