“The bicameral conference is a joint undertaking of the Senate and the House. Both chambers have a shared responsibility to ensure that the process is open and transparent, consistent with the constitutional precept that public office is a public trust,” he said.
According to Bantug, the Senate has already institutionalized transparency measures throughout the national budget process, and members of the media have been invited to cover the bicameral conference committee meetings on the General Appropriations Bill in the past.
“Calls to increase transparency in the bicam are always welcome. The Senate is open to serious proposals that will enhance public access and understanding of the crafting of the national budget,” he said.
Promoting transparency, Bantug added, is essential to fostering trust in government institutions, and Filipinos have the right to know how government funds are allocated and spent.
“Their active participation helps ensure that their elected representatives remain responsive and accountable to the people who entrusted us with this responsibility,” he concluded.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, in a press conference on Monday, welcomed the transparency proposal.
“One of the best suggestions I’ve heard in a long time from another government official,” she said.
Senator Imee Marcos also voiced support, reiterating her consistent advocacy for a transparent and inclusive budget process. She recounted her decision to take the Senate floor last year to question the ratification of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill due to undisclosed amendments in the bicameral report.
“In truth, I had earlier urged the leadership of the Senate to inform the members of the bicam of the amendments introduced in the report before its ratification. However, my request was never given due consideration,” she lamented.
She expressed hope that the 20th Congress would lead the way in scrutinizing the 2026 budget with fairness and greater transparency.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said he is not opposed to initiatives that promote transparency and strengthen public trust in legislative institutions. He explained that although budget bicam meetings have traditionally been closed-door sessions to reconcile House and Senate versions, greater public access should not be dismissed.
He pointed to his authorship of Senate Bill No. 2251, which he filed in May 2023 to institutionalize the release of a simplified “People’s Budget” for easier public understanding.
“It demands a whole-of-nation approach and requires the active engagement of the Filipino people, who are ultimately its end beneficiaries. It is only right that they are given the opportunity to understand, participate in, and monitor how public funds are allocated and spent,” he said.
However, he cautioned that any effort to open bicameral talks must ensure that the process remains focused and that the integrity of deliberations is upheld.
Senator Panfilo Lacson reaffirmed his long-standing advocacy to open budget bicam deliberations, or at least allow access for accredited NGOs, CSOs, and members of the media.
Lacson announced that one of his top 10 priority bills for the 20th Congress will be a measure mandating transparency in bicameral discussions on the national budget.
“I am hopeful that such transparency will materialize in the 20th Congress, as House members led by Speaker Martin Romualdez have voiced support for opening the bicam deliberations to the public,” he said.
He said this proposed law is a refiled version of measures he had introduced in previous Congresses but that had not yet passed.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Senate welcomes opening bicameral budget deliberations to public”
