Tulfo: Marcos veto of unprogrammed funds a step toward accountability

Erwin Tulfo on Monday welcomed the signing of the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for fiscal year 2026, praising President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. for vetoing P92.5 billion worth of projects under the unprogrammed appropriations.

In a statement, Tulfo said the enactment of the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) marked a significant step toward greater transparency in public spending.

“We welcome President Marcos’ signing of the 2026 General Appropriations Act, which we believe is the most transparent budget law in the recent history,” Tulfo said. “This is what we need, a budget that will restore the public’s trust in the government.”

Tulfo, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said he was grateful that the President heeded calls to limit the use of unprogrammed appropriations by vetoing projects worth P92.5 billion.

Earlier, the senator questioned the bicameral conference committee’s decision to retain P243 billion in unprogrammed appropriations in the final version of the budget bill, warning that such funds could be vulnerable to misuse.

He previously linked unprogrammed funds to alleged ghost flood control projects and other questionable infrastructure programs.

Ralph Recto said that among the vetoed items was an P80.8-billion lump-sum allocation for the Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs (SAGIP).

“President Marcos’ decision to veto several items under the unprogrammed funds is just a step toward full and real accountability,” Tulfo said.

The senator also said the passage of the 2026 budget marks the beginning of Congress’ intensified oversight role.

“While the Senate and House of Representatives were able to push for transparency features such as accessible budget portals and live streaming of the Bicam for this year’s budget, we carry the huge responsibility to ensure that every single peso is for the benefit of the Filipino,” he said.

Tulfo added that lawmakers would closely monitor the implementation of government projects to prevent unfinished or substandard work, stressing that the reforms introduced in the 2026 budget are “only the beginning of a genuine reform in the government.”