Marcos: No veto; bicam livestreamed

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed confidence Wednesday that a presidential veto of the proposed 2026 national budget would be unnecessary, saying the House-approved version remains aligned with the administration’s socio-economic development plans.

“I’m confident a veto won’t be necessary because I’ve been closely involved in the budget’s preparation, especially at the House level,” Marcos told reporters after the oath-taking of newly elected Malacañang media officers.

He emphasized that the budget closely follows national priorities, including allocations for farm-to-market roads, school buildings, and other key infrastructure and development programs.

“From the last version I saw, nothing deviates from the national government’s plans, so I don’t think a veto is needed,” he said, noting that the budget process is still ongoing and will undergo scrutiny in the Senate and the bicameral conference committee (bicam).

In a push for greater transparency, Marcos announced that the bicam deliberations will be livestreamed.

“And to further encourage transparency, I intend to livestream the bicam. There will be no small committee,” he said, referring to the panel of four legislators that did the final revisions to the national budget behind closed doors.

Marcos said livestreaming would make it clear who proposed or made changes to the budget.

“I have the agreement of the Senate President and the Speaker. The entire process will be out in the open so the people can see any insertions, additions, or adjustments and who made them,” he said.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto confirmed the plan, saying the Senate agreed to the livestream and he had specifically included it in a joint resolution with the House of Representatives.

The bicam transparency move comes as the House recently approved on third and final reading its version of the P6.793-trillion proposed national budget for 2026 under House Bill 4058.

The budget includes realignments that increased education allocations to a record P1.28 trillion, while maintaining funding for health, infrastructure, social welfare and other critical programs.

Marcos reiterated that the budget aligns with the administration’s roadmap for national development and stressed that the public will now have a clear view of all deliberations, ensuring accountability and trust in the process.