EDITORIAL — Wishing for a ‘pork’-free budgetIn late 2024, public outrage over accusations that Vice President Sara Duterte had misused P612.5 million in confidential funds was dissipated by revelations of corruption in the crafting of the annual national budget by administration allies. Both chambers of Congress have ratified the enrolled bill proposing a P6.79-trillion national budget for 2026. And yet the current Congress has again included unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 budget, and larger than what the executive has proposed. Budget watchdogs have called for the elimination of this “soft” pork barrel along with the unprogrammed appropriations. A clean, genuinely “pork”-free budget would bode well for the start of what should be a year of dramatic reforms.

Source: Philippine Star December 31, 2025 19:01 UTC