Reduce suspensions, keep camera rolling during Bicam – Lacson

The livestream for the upcoming bicameral conference committee on the 2027 budget has to remain uninterrupted even during the suspension of sessions to allow the public to observe the entire process, a senator said.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson made the proposal on Sunday as the Senate nears the conclusion of its deliberations and scrutiny of the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) and the House of Representatives' version of the budget.

He stated that it was important that the broadcast of the Bicam deliberations between the Senate and the House even during suspensions in order to prevent lawmakers from inserting unlawful amendments into the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“When the budget bill reaches the Bicam, as what happened last year, there were many suspensions where lawmakers were whispering in a corner, away from the cameras,” Lacson said in an radio interview on DWIZ.

“I’d like to propose that the cameras keep rolling even during suspension of the proceedings so the public will know what is being discussed,” he added.

In 2025, the Bicam hearings were livestreamed for the first time in light of the multibillion peso corruption scandal which erupted midway through the year.

Congressional inquiries into the issue disclosed that some of the projects which were subject of investigations were inserted at the Bicam level, prompting lawmakers to implement measures that boosted transparency on the part of Congress.

Even with the broadcast, Lacson challenged the numerous suspensions during the hearings which had allowed lawmakers to discuss budget amendments out of the view of the public.

The senator stressed that such developments should be lessened during the 2027 Bicam, noting that pauses in discussion were often reserved for bathroom breaks rather than bargaining.

“Suspensions should be avoided because they allow opportunities for whispering and bargaining. Suspensions should be made so lawmakers can answer the call of nature, not to engage in whispered discussions,” he said.