House dignitary softens rhetoric following allegations of governmental misconduct in Congress
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, in a recent statement, asserted that the Cabinet will not tolerate any attack on the integrity and reputation of the executive branch. This assertion was made in response to certain statements from members of the House of Representatives that were perceived as encroaching on the institutional separation of powers.
In an earlier statement, Bersamin emphasised the need for the executive branch to maintain its independence from the House of Representatives. He specifically called out some representatives for their comments that allegedly undermined this separation.
Last week, Bersamin accused the House of attempting to shift blame to the executive branch for its own corruption. This accusation was followed by a request from the Office of the President for PHP 4.5 billion in confidential and intelligence funds.
Amidst this controversy, Representative Antonio Tinio registered his objection to the termination of the budget briefing. The House, however, allowed more questions about the Office of the President's budget compared to previous years.
The House of Representatives launched its own investigation into corruption-ridden flood control projects last week. In response, Bersamin urged the House to address corruption within its own ranks before investigating other departments.
The 2026 budget proposal of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s office, which includes a 72% increase from the current year's PHP 15.8 billion, has been approved by the committee and elevated to the plenary. A significant portion of the requested amount, PHP 17.5 billion, will be used for hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the Philippines.
The office is also requesting PHP 1.01 billion for foreign and local trips. Malacanang is drafting an executive order on the creation of an independent commission to look into anomalous flood control contracts, but the person currently drafting the order remains unspecified.
In a surprising turn of events, Executive Secretary Bersamin appeared to soften his stance on Monday, September 8. This shift in tone could potentially signal a more cooperative approach between the executive and legislative branches.
However, the House leaders recently retracted the proposal to return the 2026 budget document to the executive department due to supposed errors in funding requests, following a meeting with Speaker Martin Romualdez. Romualdez believes the appropriations committee should extend its scrutiny of the budget proposal.
As the debate on institutional separation and budget allocation continues, the Filipino public eagerly awaits the resolution of these issues and the promise of a more accountable government.
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