What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. So should the same go for the Offices of the President and Vice President, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio insists.

Tonio yesterday questioned the House of Representatives’ decision to defer a detailed scrutiny of the Office of the President’s proposed P10.15-billion budget for 2027, saying that Congress must apply the same transparency standard to Malacañang that it demands of the Office of the Vice President.

Tinio raised his concern Tuesday after the House Committee on Appropriations voted 37-5 to extend a parliamentary courtesy to the Office of the President and forgo deliberations on its proposed budget for next year.

“Congress has to be fair in its application of the principle of transparency. If Congress strongly demands transparency from the Office of the Vice President then it should be the same for the Office of the President,” Tinio said in a manifestation.

He particularly questioned the OP’s nearly P5 billion allocated to confidential and intelligence funds, saying the public deserved an explanation from Malacañang.

“The Office of the President has to explain why nearly half of its budget is allocated for confidential and intelligence funds. The people want answers directly from the Office of the President,” he said.

Tinio also challenged Executive Secretary Ralph Recto to waive parliamentary courtesy and answer lawmakers’ questions in a committee hearing.

He said the need for transparency was particularly urgent amid allegations of corruption against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and some current and former Cabinet officials in connection with the flood control scandal.

Aside from Tinio, those who also called for greater transparency in the proposed President’s budget were Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co, Kamanggagawa Partylist Rep. Eli San Fernando, Gabriela Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago, and 4K Partylist Rep. Iris Marie Montes.

Courtesy extended

Despite the solons’ objections, the appropriations panel approved the P10.15-billion proposed OP budget at the committee level in keeping with the legislative tradition of extending parliamentary courtesy to the Office of the President.

The outlay is 63 percent lower than the P27.3 billion allocated to the OP under the 2026 budget.

Recto explained that much of the 2026 allocation was intended to cover the country’s hosting of activities related to its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year.

For 2027, the proposed budget will cover the OP’s regular programs. This includes P7.46 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses, P1.78 billion for personnel services, and P839.6 million for capital outlays.

In an interview after the panel hearing was suspended, Recto defended the OP’s use of confidential funds, citing its history of receiving unmodified opinions from the Commission on Audit.

On Tinio’s concern over the different transparency standards for the President and Vice President, Recto said accountability measures were being addressed by both chambers of Congress.

“I expect the House to amend the proposal of the executive, the budget, and pass the budget on time,” Recto said when asked about his expectations for the plenary deliberations.