Politics · Philippines Bureau
Senate majority backs push to eliminate pork from 2027 budget
Philippine senators are uniting behind efforts to strip questionable spending items from the proposed 2027 national budget. The coordinated push aims to remove what lawmakers describe as unnecessary and corruption-prone allocations.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The Senate's majority bloc is throwing its weight behind a cleansing effort on the 2027 budget, with senators rallying to support Finance Committee Chair JV Ejercito's drive to eliminate problematic spending items.
Senate Majority Leader Panfilo Lacson said on Sunday that lawmakers across the majority coalition are backing Ejercito's push to remove what he characterized as "unwarranted, whimsical, and corruption-prone" provisions from the proposed national budget.
The coordinated effort reflects growing concern among legislators about discretionary spending that critics argue lacks proper justification and creates opportunities for misuse of public funds. By consolidating support within the majority bloc, Senate leaders aim to streamline the budget process and ensure greater accountability in how taxpayer money is allocated.
Ejercito's role as Finance Committee chair places him at the center of budget deliberations, where such items typically come under scrutiny before the full Senate votes on the spending measure.