Speaker rejects corruption claims in budget process Delon Porcalla

MANILA, Philippines — Breaking his silence on the controversy over insertions in the 2027 national budget by members of the House of Representatives, Speaker Faustino Dy III yesterday rejected allegations of corruption in the budget process, saying “there is nothing to hide if you did no wrong.”

In a statement, the House leader stressed that transparency was observed in the legislative deliberation on the P7.2-trillion national budget that lawmakers approved and that amendments do not always involve corruption.

“And nothing should be feared if the real objective is to serve the public with all honesty. The budget is the people’s money. They have all the right to know how these are being spent,” Dy said.

“The general public should know where the taxpayers’ money are going to be spent, who are the proponents of these projects, why the need for such, and who stands to benefit for it,” the sixth district congressman from Isabela province explained.

The administration stalwart said the House is open to disclosing supporting documents for government projects, making budget deliberations more accessible to the public, and working with civil society groups to strengthen public oversight.

Dy welcomed proposals calling for greater transparency in congressional budget amendments, public verification of government projects, more open bicameral conference committee deliberations, and closer scrutiny of the budgets of government offices, including Congress.

The Speaker also expressed support for reforms designed to make government assistance more accessible based on people’s needs rather than on political connections.

The House leader said the House is prepared to work with the Senate, executive agencies and civil society organizations to ensure that public funds address urgent national concerns, including food security, health care, education, employment, infrastructure and preparations for El Niño.

“We should also prioritize the most urgent needs of our countrymen – food, jobs, health, education, roads and bridges and other infrastructure and our preparations for the calamity of Super El Niño,” he said.

He explained that lawmakers have a responsibility to represent the needs of their constituents and propose projects that address development gaps in their districts.

“Not all the reforms that the House has been undertaking with regards to the budget are wrong. It is the duty of congressmen to fight and defend the allocations for their districts. The most important is that these projects are good, completely documented and beneficial to all,” Dy said.

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