Leave no room for budget scandal

In a rare and promising move toward transparency, President Marcos has announced that the bicameral deliberations of the proposed 2026 national budget will be livestreamed.

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This development—finalized after consultations with Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and House Speaker Faustino “Bogie” Dy III—may appear technical, even mundane to the untrained eye. But in truth, this is nothing short of revolutionary.

For the first time, the nation will be given the chance to witness the process of fine-tuning the national budget, where billions of pesos in people’s money are allocated, shifted, juggled, or inserted—legitimately or otherwise.

This bold act comes in the wake of a corruption storm. The public's trust was battered by the flood control projects scandal, a mess born out of the shadows where last-minute budget insertions, favor-trading, and technical cover-ups thrived—a practice that has been going on year in and year out. And this is not simply about misuse of public funds. This is about lives disrupted by floods that could have been prevented. It’s about communities and students sacrificed on the altar of corruption.