Gatchalian pushes back vs. Imee on 2026 budget

2026 national budget, insisting that safeguards were put in place to prevent misuse of funds.

“We have ensured that this budget is corruption-free,” Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, said during a press briefing on Tuesday morning.

Even before Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed the P6.793-trillion national budget, Senator Imee Marcos had repeatedly criticized the spending plan and said she would not sign it.

On the same day the President approved the budget, Imee posted a Facebook reel taking jabs at alleged “pork” insertions, stressing that ground pork remains pork.

“Each person has their own theory,” Gatchalian added.

Aiming for transparency

Gatchalian said the 2026 budget moves away from lump-sum allocations, which he said previously allowed P80 billion in flood control insertions and so-called ghost projects, in favor of itemized spending — particularly for the construction of farm-to-market roads.

He also defended the increase in funding for farm-to-market roads, saying rural areas would benefit from the higher allocation as the program is not “Metro Manila-centric.”

Government agencies, including the Commission on Higher Education, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Department of Labor and Employment, are also mandated to craft guidelines preventing public officials from taking credit for government-funded assistance.

For government workers, the budget for pensions remains unchanged at P147 billion, while performance bonuses were fully funded at P27 billion.