Chiz affirms Tianco’s remarks on budget amendments in ICI testimony

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday confirmed before the Independent Congressional Inquiry (ICI) that amendments, commonly referred to as “insertions,” do occur in the national budget, aligning with earlier claims made by Congressman Toby Tiangco regarding questionable adjustments in the 2025 General Appropriations Bill.

Speaking to the media after his closed-door interview with the ICI, Escudero said the inquiry centered on clarifying legislative procedures in the Senate, particularly concerning budget amendments, and validating points raised by Rep. Tiangco in prior statements.

“Marami. Yung mga amendments na sinasabi ni Cong. Toby... tinanong din ako tungkol doon (Many. Those amendments mentioned by Cong. Tiangco… I was asked about it),” Escudero said, adding that amendments stem not only from the Senate but more significantly from the House of Representatives.

Tiangco, who earlier exposed the insertions scheme, brought a flash drive containing detailed information about the system, the same evidence he had already submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing.

Tiangco had earlier raised alarms over alleged “insertions” discreetly placed into the national budget by lawmakers.

When asked if he confirmed the same before the ICI, Escudero responded. “Yes. Kasi totoo naman na may amendments na nanggagaling sa mga mambabatas, may mga amendments na nanggagaling sa parte ng Senado, mga senador (Because it's true that there are amendments coming from lawmakers, some from the Senate, from the senators themselves).”

“Pero kapag pinapatukuyan ni Congressman Toby amendments mismo ng Kamara na malayo naman na mas marami at mas malaki kumpara sa amendments ng Senado (But when Congressman Toby refers to amendments, he’s pointing specifically to those from the House, which are significantly more numerous and larger compared to the Senate’s amendments),” he added.

While Escudero avoided labeling the amendments as illegal, he emphasized that changes to the budget are a regular part of the legislative process, given the imperfections of the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“Insertion man o amendment, oo. Mayroon naman talaga. May mga amendments naman talaga hindi naman pwedeng wala, hindi naman perfect yung NEP (Whether you call it an insertion or an amendment—yes, they do exist. There are really amendments; it’s not possible for there to be none, because the NEP isn’t perfect),” he said.

“Well, these are amendments whether you call it insertion, whether may kumita, may pinagkakitaan, ang kuwestiyon ay amendment ba ‘yon, pagbabago ba ‘yon sa national budget o hindi. Ang NEP ay hindi perpekto. Nagbabago yung mga amendments sa NEP depende sa taon. Depende sa kagustuhan o kung gaano ka-strikto ang Pangulo o ang DBM. So depende ‘yon at sa dulo pagbobotohan pa rin ‘yon ng mga miyembro ng Senado at ng Kongreso (Well, these are amendments, whether you call them insertions, whether someone profited from them or not, the question is: are they amendments? Are there changes to the national budget or not? The NEP isn’t perfect. Amendments to the NEP change depending on the year, depending on the preferences, or how strict the President or the DBM is. So it really depends, and in the end, those changes are still subject to a vote by members of the Senate and the House),” he further explained.

However, when asked whether these amendments involved any profit-making or irregularities, Escudero was more guarded, saying the core question should be whether the changes qualify as legitimate amendments.

During the session, members of the ICI reportedly sought to verify procedural details and changes in budget deliberations over the years, particularly during Escudero's time as Finance Committee Chair under President Benigno Aquino III in 2015.

“Si Secretary Babes [Singson] naman ay medyo kabisado ang budget process… tinanong lang niya kung may nagbago ba. Halos wala namang nagbago (Secretary Babes, on the other hand, is quite familiar with the budget process... he just asked if anything had changed. Almost nothing has changed),” Escudero noted.

The ICI did not raise issues about contractors or the controversial flood control budget, topics which Escudero said were outside the scope of his interview. He also confirmed that the ICI did not request further documentation nor set any timeline for wrapping up the inquiry.

“I think that is the subject matter for the Comelec to decide and rule upon. It was not discussed,” he stressed.

When asked if he would be summoned again, Escudero replied, “Malamang hindi na rin (I don’t think so).”