Senator Risa Hontiveros firmly denied accusations linking her to alleged budget insertions in the 2025 national spending bill, saying she had “no hand” in any controversial allocations finalized by the bicameral conference committee.
The senator’s statement came after rumors circulated online, following a radio report claiming that she inserted ₱3 billion into the national budget — including ₱750 million supposedly earmarked for flood control projects.
On X (formerly Twitter), Hontiveros, who serves as Senate deputy majority leader, said she did not sign the bicameral report and voted against the final version of the budget.
“Wala akong Bicam insertions. Wala sa unprogrammed funds. PERIOD. HINDI AKO PUMIRMA sa Bicam, at bumoto ng NO sa kontrobersyal na 2025 budget,” she wrote.
She also called on the public to avoid misinformation. “WAG MANIWALA SA FAKE NEWS AT MALING INFO. Lahat ng iminungkahi kong amyenda sa budget ay dumaan sa tamang proseso at inaprubahan ng [Senate]!” she said.
Hontiveros’ clarification comes amid heightened public scrutiny of the bicameral conference process, where lawmakers from both chambers reconcile differences in their budget versions. Critics have long warned that this closed-door stage allows for questionable insertions of funds into projects — often involving flood control — that later prove non-existent or substandard.
Earlier, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson claimed that certain lawmakers had inserted between ₱5 billion and ₱9 billion each into the 2025 budget, though he withheld names. Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III maintained that “amendments or insertions” are part of the regular legislative process, provided they are properly deliberated.
Several senators — including Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva — have been linked in testimonies by former public works officials to questionable allocations, but all have denied wrongdoing. Escudero has accused former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of trying to shift blame to the Senate after resigning over the flood control scandal.
