House gets joint resolution for public bicam deliberations on 2026 budget

A joint resolution has been submitted to the House of Representatives to make bicameral conference committee deliberations public, seeking transparency in the 2026 national budget bill and addressing allegations of irregularities in previous budgets.

The resolution mandates creating comparison matrices between House and Senate budget versions, recording resolution processes for budget disagreements, and publishing detailed meeting minutes for public access.

Allegations of partisan budget irregularities and distortions, including a violation of the constitutionally mandated education funding priority, have prompted lawmakers to emphasize transparency in bicameral committee discussions.

Rep. Chel Diokno (Akbayan Party-list) stated that institutionalizing corruption control through a transparent bicam process is better than auditing flood control programs.

The resolution cites President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s allegations of gross misuse of public funds in flood control projects and emphasizes the need to maintain honesty and integrity in public service.