As scrutiny of the proposed 2027 national budget officially began Monday, a lawmaker questioned the apparent exemption of the House of Representatives from explaining its own annual expenditures before its colleagues in pre-plenary hearings.

“Is there a law that exempts the House of Representatives from presenting the budget to our colleagues before it goes into plenary?” Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco asked during the first hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations.

Tiangco explained that his inquiry stemmed from substantial insertions added to final budget versions, noting that amounts sometimes doubled compared to the original figures in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

He cited the 2026 lower house budget, which rose from an initial NEP allocation of P16 billion to P35 billion in the approved House General Appropriations Bill.

While lawmakers can ask questions during plenary sessions, Tiangco argued that members cannot properly interrogate line items without knowing how specific amounts are allocated and used.

“Why don’t we put it through pre-plenary hearing because we should know how the budget of the House in 2025, how the budget in 2026 was being spent and what is the basis of the 2027 budget proposal,” Tiangco said.

He stressed that subjecting the legislative branch to standard oversight procedures would show the public that the House has nothing to hide.

“I would like to request that, if there are no legal exemptions or constitutional provisions that exempt the House of Representatives, we must go through the same — exactly the same — process as other departments,” he said.

In response, committee chairperson Representative Mikaela Suansing said she could not rule on the request immediately and would refer the matter to House leadership. Suansing cited that the House was not the only agency excluded from pre-plenary hearings during previous deliberations.

Tiangco maintained that a formal presentation is necessary due to ongoing public questions regarding how legislative funds are spent and liquidated.

“Just to be very clear, we are not saying no,” Suansing said, stressing that her committee prioritizes transparency measures in drafting the national budget. “We are saying that this is not a decision that I can make right now, that is subject to the consideration of the House leadership.”

In addition to questioning the deliberation process, Tiangco asked the House to establish a public system where budget allocations per congressional district are published directly on the House website for public access.