Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III clarified on Monday that amendments or insertions in the proposed national budget are part of the legislature’s regular work, pushing back against claims that all such adjustments are questionable.
“It is unfortunate that the issue [of] ghost projects and failed flood control projects affects and generalizes all amendments as illegal or improper,” Sotto said in a statement.
The remark came after Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson revealed over the weekend that nearly all senators of the 19th Congress made insertions totaling around ₱100 billion in the 2025 General Appropriations Act. According to Lacson, these were individual items later classified as “for later release” (FLR).
Sotto explained that lawmakers often push for amendments to fund public needs such as additional classrooms, farm-to-market roads, and bridges—projects that, he emphasized, are especially vital for remote provinces. “Some of which were never funded and were tagged ‘for later release’ (FLR),” he said.
When asked if senators’ budget amendments were improper or illegal, Sotto responded: “That’s right. Not all of them. They’re usually individual amendments.” He also assured the public that changes will be introduced in the 2026 budget “for greater transparency, people’s participation, and accountability.”
Senator JV Ejercito, also a member of the 19th Congress, defended the practice, stressing that introducing amendments after hearings is part of lawmakers’ duty to refine government programs. “Not all amendments are bad, especially those [that] help agencies and departments,” Ejercito said. He further noted that such adjustments are valid “as long as there is no post-enactment intervention.”
