Senator Imee Marcos flagged the absence of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget from the document listing provisions to be reconciled during the bicameral conference committee meeting on Saturday, 13 December.

"Kung talagang transparency ang habol natin, bakit wala rito ang pinagmumulan ng pinagpopot at kawalang-kumpiyansa ng taumbayan sa atin? (If we are truly after transparency, why did you not put the source of people's distrust to us?)" Marcos asked.

"Dapat mag-umpisa ang usapin sa Public Works. Pero wala sa ano mang papel, sa nine-page summary o sa papel na binigay sa atin kahapon lamang na reconciliation... bakit wala pong budget ang DPWH? (The issue should start with Public Works. But there is nothing in any paper, in the nine-page summary, or in the reconciliation paper that we were given just yesterday. Why doesn't the DPWH have a budget?) she added.

For his part, Senate finance committee chair Senator Win Gatchalian said the DPWH budget will be taken up on Sunday, 14 December.

"May mga iba pang items pa na bukas itatalakay katulad ng special purpose funds, unprogrammed appropriations. Tomorrow pag-uusapan [ang sa DPWH] (Other items will be discussed tomorrow, such as special purpose funds, unprogrammed appropriations. Tomorrow, we will discuss the DPWH)," Gatchalian said.

Marcos asked for an advance copy to give lawmakers sufficient time for review, which Gatchalian committed to provide.