Tinio on potential budget delay if House recalls bill: ‘So what?’

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio said a delay in passing the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 would be a reasonable price to pay if it allowed Congress to correct provisions that could violate the Constitution.

Tinio maintained that recalling the House-approved spending bill to address issues raised by the Supreme Court would not necessarily derail its passage before the end of the year.

“We’ve heard this so many times, if the House recalls the budget then the enactment of the bill will be delayed, our response to that is so what?” Tinio said during an interview on DAILY TRIBUNE's Straight Talk program.

“First of all, it’s not a certainty...that recalling for one week in order to make corrections would actually delay the budget. Secondly, even if it did...it’s not the end of the world if we have a re-enacted budget for a few days,” he added.

Tinio cited the 2026 national budget, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed on 5 January, several days into the fiscal year.

He argued that the House should take responsibility for reviewing its own amendments following the Supreme Court's ruling on unconstitutional appropriations in previous national budgets.

“Our position is, coming to terms with understanding and learning from the Supreme Court decision should not be left to the Senate alone,” Tinio said.

“[The House] should learn its own lessons and the best way to learn is by doing the corrections itself as an institution,” he added.

Tinio was among 13 lawmakers who voted against the House-approved 2027 General Appropriations Bill on 12 October.

The Supreme Court, in a decision promulgated on 7 October and publicly announced on 20 October, declared unconstitutional congressional increases in the 2024 and 2025 budgets and certain provisions governing unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 budget.

The ruling emphasized constitutional limits on congressional spending amendments and safeguards against prohibited lump-sum appropriations.

Tinio said the House should revisit provisions in the 2027 budget that could face similar constitutional challenges.

He also argued that the chamber could expedite the corrections through available legislative procedures, including presidential certification of urgency.

“There are ways to do it without taking up too much time,” Tinio said.

P58.53B local fund questioned

Among the allocations Tinio wants reviewed is the P58.53-billion Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), which he characterized as a lump-sum appropriation lacking sufficient project-level details.

“As early as last year, I myself pointed out that this was the President’s LGU pork fund and this was indeed how it was used. It’s to distribute funds to [local government units],” he said.

Tinio argued that leaving the selection and allocation of projects to the executive branch raises constitutional concerns similar to those addressed in the Supreme Court's ruling and its earlier decision in Belgica v. Ochoa, which struck down the Priority Development Assistance Fund system.

The Department of Budget and Management, however, has defended the proposed LGSF, saying local governments must apply directly for financial assistance under established evaluation, transparency and auditing requirements.

The agency maintains that the allocation supports infrastructure, social development and other priority projects in communities with limited financial resources.

Tinio also questioned amendments to the Department of Public Works and Highways budget, including an additional P11.49 billion earmarked by the House for infrastructure projects.

He said lawmakers should ensure that the allocations comply with constitutional requirements and contain sufficient details to prevent discretionary spending.

Ejercito warns of budget delays

Senate Finance Committee Chairman JV Ejercito, however, has opposed recalling the House-approved budget, warning that the move could prevent Congress from passing the measure before the end of 2026.

“I’m appealing that we just fix it during the bicam,” Ejercito said in an interview on 22 October.

“I’m worried that if it happens, more often than not, most likely, we will not pass the budget by year-end.”

The senator cited the Senate's tight legislative calendar, including the resumption of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial and activities surrounding the ASEAN Summit.

“We’re on a tight schedule. We also have the resumption of the impeachment, the ASEAN right? There are many events that are competing for the schedule.”

House Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson Albert Garcia similarly warned that delays in enacting the budget could affect economic growth.

Garcia maintained that disputed provisions and amendments could be addressed during bicameral conference committee deliberations instead of returning the measure to the House.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has also said the Senate intends to correct questionable appropriations without recalling the House-approved bill.

The Senate is scheduled to resume consideration of the budget when Congress reconvenes on 9 November, with lawmakers facing pressure to complete deliberations before the year ends.