Rep. Suansing Clarifies Role Amid Budget Queries
During the initial discussions on the proposed P6.793 trillion 2026 national budget, the topic of the House of Representatives’ small committee arose. Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Mikaela Suansing had to repeatedly clarify to Navotas City Representative Toby Tiangco that she was not the chairperson of the House appropriations committee in the previous Congress. This exchange highlighted ongoing concerns regarding budget transparency and document accessibility.
Tiangco questioned Suansing about the availability of the small committee’s report, which allegedly contained amendments to the 2025 national budget during its deliberations in the 19th Congress. The small committee, composed of key House and committee officials, reviews amendments after the General Appropriations Bill has been approved on its final reading. Suansing explained that since she was not the appropriations chairperson at that time, the request for the documents would need to be considered separately.
Dispute Over Public Records and Committee Archives
Tiangco insisted that the report should be readily available as a matter of public record and in line with House rules mandating that all committee reports be distributed to members. “Madam Chair, why should it be put under consideration, this is of public record, this is in accordance with our rules that all committee reports must be given to all members,” he said.
Suansing responded, emphasizing that the document belongs to the 19th Congress and falls under the jurisdiction of the committee chair at that time. She suggested that the issue be addressed separately from the current 20th Congress proceedings. “This representation was not the appropriations chair at the time… given that we’ve now crossed over to the 20th Congress, we would need to consider that request,” she noted.
In a mix of Filipino and English, Tiangco expressed frustration over the lack of accessible archives and hinted at possible violations: “Madam Chair that’s not acceptable… Do I have to read the rules again regarding archiving of all documents? So there are violations Madam Chair, there’s no record readily available, nothing in the archives. What’s the secret?”
Focus on 2026 Budget Deliberations and Transparency
Suansing reiterated that the current hearing was focused on the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefing for the 2026 budget and that Tiangco’s concerns could be tackled in a separate committee setting. “As a response to the Honorable Tiangco, we will look into the records… this is an internal matter that may be taken up with the committee on appropriations separately,” she explained.
Tiangco countered, underscoring the need for clarity on previous budget amendments to properly question government departments about their spending. “No it’s not, Madam Chair, starting Wednesday, we will ask the departments how they spent their budgets, how can we ask them if we don’t know the reasons for the budget cuts or increase?”
Suansing maintained that the committee could still evaluate agency performance and budget utilization based on 2025 data without the disputed report. “We will be able to scrutinize the performance of the different agencies as well as the utilization of the different line items based on the 2025 performance. So this does not preclude us from doing that scrutiny,” she said.
Leadership Changes and Budget Scrutiny
Suansing was appointed as appropriations chairperson for the 20th Congress, succeeding Ako Bicol party-list Representative Elizaldy Co, who stepped down in January due to health reasons. Former Marikina 2nd District Representative Stella Quimbo served as acting chairperson during the transition.
The 2025 budget faced criticism over alleged blank items in the bicameral conference report and last-minute insertions favoring flood control projects. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his fourth State of the Nation Address, condemned officials and contractors accused of profiting from such projects. He also warned legislators that he would veto any budget not aligned with the administration’s priorities, even if it means adopting a reenacted budget.
In response, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Suansing advocated for reforms, such as opening bicameral conference meetings to public scrutiny and encouraging broader citizen participation in the budget process.
House Appropriations Committee Kicks Off 2026 Budget Talks
The House committee on appropriations, led by Suansing, formally began deliberations on the 2026 budget with a briefing from the DBCC. This committee includes the Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, and the Office of the President. They will be questioned on the formulation of the National Expenditures Program and the current state of the country’s finances.
Romualdez emphasized the chamber’s commitment to transparency, stating, “We ended the practice of the ‘small committee’. We welcomed civil society observers. Because the Filipino people deserve full transparency in how their hard-earned money is planned, allocated, and spent.”
It was also Tiangco who originally called for the elimination of small committee hearings after budget deliberations, urging strict adherence to House rules during the crafting of the national budget.
For more news and updates on national budget deliberations, visit Filipinokami.com.