Flawed budgetary legacy

Resource allocation is not merely arithmetic. A budget serves as a compass that should guide fiscal decisions with care and vigilance.

Senator Panfilo Lacson has described the General Appropriations Acts (GAA) for 2024 and 2025 as “the worst budgets ever passed by Congress.” While I don’t often agree with Lacson’s perspective, I fully support his view here. Although a somewhat dramatic assertion, the senator’s statement reflects a reality that will be remembered in our legislative history.

The recent Supreme Court (SC) ruling, which declared key provisions of the GAAs unconstitutional, highlights the seriousness of the financial crisis.

Let’s dissect what makes these budgets so disastrous. The Senate, meant to serve as a bulwark against fiscal irresponsibility, has clearly dropped the ball. Lacson’s statement forces us to confront how Congress has turned budgetary planning into a reckless free-for-all.

Under the 2024 GAA, the SC flagged Congress’ move to increase the unprogrammed appropriations by P449.5 billion. It also nullified the P17.9 billion increase in the Special Road Fund under the 2025 GAA.

Negligence occurs when lawmakers increase unprogrammed appropriations by a staggering P449.5 billion while ignoring the constitutional framework. In fact, it is a dereliction of duty. If funds go unspent and cannot be disbursed, where did the oversight go? How did lawmakers allow budgetary chaos to unfold unchecked?

The Senate’s efforts to ensure transparency in the upcoming 2027 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) ring hollow given its past failures. Senate President Pro Tempore Tito Sotto’s promises of a “livestreamed” budgetary process and a “clean and clear” allocation feel more like a soft, insipid afterthought than a pledge to accountability.

Why did it take a Supreme Court ruling to bring this case the scrutiny it needed? Shouldn’t this level of transparency and diligence be the norm, not the exception?

Assuming that past mistakes can be addressed with a livestream or the mere mention of “transparency” is a classic case of underestimating the electorate’s intelligence. The people deserve more than rhetorical flourishes. We need strong mechanisms to ensure budgetary decisions align with the public interest, not get shrouded in opaque legislative maneuvers.

What does it say about governance that the judiciary had to intervene to check congressional excess? The institution designed to protect our fiscal integrity has repeatedly behaved recklessly.

With money that could have fueled development locked away by congressional mismanagement, the ripple effects will spread across sectors, ultimately hurting the very citizens lawmakers claim to serve.

The 2024 and 2025 GAAs testify to the disarray in the budgetary process and the pressing need for comprehensive reform. These budgets’ legacy should not be seen merely as a challenge to accountability, but as a call to overhaul how government approaches fiscal responsibility. More transparent, efficient, and effective budgeting practices must align with economic goals to better serve the public interest.

When leaders prioritize partisan politics over the nation’s well-being, expect more disastrous budgets in historic proportions.