Palace vows clean 2026 budget after insertions

THE presidential palace on Monday sought to assure the public that the Marcos administration would strictly manage the 2026 national budget, after mounting concerns over congressional insertions and alleged irregularities in infrastructure spending.

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“The public can be assured that the 2026 budget will be managed properly, and the President will not allow anomalous projects,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a news briefing in Filipino.

She added that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. wants to ensure funds are allocated to priority programs that directly benefit Filipinos.

The assurance comes after Senator Panfilo M. Lacson disclosed that senators of the 19 Congress had introduced insertions worth P35 billion to P9 billion each in the 2025 General Appropriations Act totaling at least P100 billion.

The items were allegedly tagged “for later release.” Mr. Lacson, who heads the Senate blue ribbon committee, called the amounts unprecedented and warned they could threaten fiscal discipline.