Describing the 2025 national budget as corrupt to the core, Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said the Senate will not allow its reenactment.

Lacson said the Senate has adopted measures to ensure transparency in deliberations on the budget bill, including livestreaming the bicameral conference committee.

“Passing the 2026 budget bill is essential. Without it, we may end up with a reenacted budget, and we will not allow that. If the 2025 budget is reenacted, we will see large lump sum appropriations coming from a 2025 budget that has had so many problems,” he said.

The 2025 budget was said to include a large number of insertions following revelations by former representative Zaldy Co in a recent video that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered P100 billion worth of insertions.

But former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo claimed the insertions were carried out by former undersecretaries Adrian Bersamin and Trygve Olaivar without President Marcos’ knowledge.

The Mamayang Liberal Partylist on Thursday urged an open and transparent bicameral conference. The bloc urged that the bicam meetings, including the deliberations, be livestreamed and the media be allowed to cover them.

But before the bicam can proceed, the Senate must pass its own version of the 2026 national budget. Lacson pointed out that the Senate had to adjust its schedules for deliberations after some issues arose.