00:01Senator Ping Laxon says the Senate majority bloc is united in removing corruption-prone items from the House-approved version
00:08of the proposed 2027 national budget.
00:10Laxon says the majority of senators are rallying behind Senate Finance Committee Chairman J.B. Ejercito's efforts to cleanse the
00:172027 budget of unwarranted, whimsical, and corruption-prone items. All means all.
00:22Laxon also says Ejercito secured the Department of Public Works and Highways' commitment that it will submit all supporting documents
00:29for its infrastructure projects by Tuesday, November 3. Projects without the required documents would be removed.
00:35Budget advocacy groups like the People's Budget Coalition and BetterGovPH flagged nearly 7,000 projects worth P190 billion with no
00:43published project attachments.
00:44A separate Senate review also found the number of DPWH projects increased from 11,420 in the National Expenditure Program
00:52to 16,244 in the House-approved General Appropriations Bill.
00:57Laxon also says Ejercito will invite civil society organizations to observe the bicameral conference committee deliberations on the budget.
