With only days left before the expected signing of the 2026 national budget, Antonio Tinio, ACT Teachers Party-list representative and deputy minority leader, on Friday condemned the transfer of more than P43 billion in personnel benefits from guaranteed funding to what he described as the “corruption ridden” Unprogrammed Appropriations (UA).

Tinio cited the ratified report on the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which he said moved P10.77 billion for salary upgrades and P32.47 billion for retirement and terminal leave benefits from the programmed Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) and Pension and Gratuity Fund (PGF) to the UA.

The total P43.24 billion was transferred to a UA line item labeled “For Payment of Personnel Services Requirements,” affecting government employees and retirees, including teachers and uniformed personnel.

“This is a brutal betrayal of our civil servants. Following the ratified bicameral report, the General Appropriations Act has deliberately turned the mandatory benefits of hundreds of thousands of government employees, including our teachers, as well as military and uniformed personnel, into a mere suggestion, subject to the availability of funds,” Tinio said.

“They have chosen to guarantee billions in new lump-sum ‘LGU pork’ under the Local Government Support Fund while putting the rightful compensation and retirement security of public sector workers on the chopping block,” he added.

Tinio explained that transferring the funds to the UA means payments will now be “subject to availability of funds,” such as when the government generates excess revenues.

“Mula sa tiyak na pondo dahil nasa regular or programmed budget, naging hindi tiyak dahil nilipat sa ‘standby’ or unprogrammed budget. Samakatwid ginawang alanganin ang pagbayad sa mga benepisyong ito,” he said.

The lawmaker cited the 2025 Service Recognition Incentive (SRI), noting that Department of Education personnel and other government workers allegedly did not receive the full P20,000 benefit due to funding shortfalls.

“Ginawa na ito sa atin nitong 2025. Hindi pa binibigay ang buong SRI dahil sa kakulangan ng pondo. Ngayon, isinusugal na nila ang sahod at pensiyon natin para sa susunod na taon. Ito ay isang malinaw na patakaran ng pagpapabaya at pagsasakripisyo sa kapakanan ng mga kawani at guro,” Tinio said.

He further alleged that the administration is using personnel benefits to shield the controversial UA from a possible presidential veto, calling the move “manipulative and cruel.”

“They are hiding behind the needs of teachers and civil servants to preserve a system of unprogrammed funds that has become a cesspool of corruption. Ilalagay ang pondo para sa mga guro, kawani, at maging mga sundalo at pulis na retirado sa UA, para gamiting pansalag sa mga kritisismo. They will say: 'Kapag tinanggal ang UA, hindi na mababayaran ang suweldo at pensyon ng mga kawani.' This is manipulative and cruel,” Tinio said.

Tinio renewed his call for the President to veto the Unprogrammed Appropriations and urged the Executive to restore the P43 billion allocated for salary increases and retirement benefits.

“We maintain our call: Veto the Unprogrammed Appropriations in the 2026 GAB. However, this must be paired with an immediate commitment from the Executive to submit a supplemental budget at the earliest opportunity, specifically to restore the P43.245 billion for salary upgrades and retirement benefits,” he said.

“Huwag gawing hostage ang suweldo at benepisyo ng mga lingkod-bayan para protektahan ang isang tiwaling sistema. The people’s money must first and foremost go to the people’s servants, not to pork barrel and corrupt contractors,” Tinio added.