The Makabayan Bloc filed a resolution Tuesday urging fellow members of the 19th Congress to open to the media and public the bicameral meeting for the P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025.
The group led by ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro filed House Resolution 2067, citing Article VI, Section 16 (3) of the 1987 Constitution.
The provision states “each House may determine rules of its proceedings,” but must do so guided by the principles of transparency and accountability enshrined in the Constitution.”
Castro said the lack of transparency in the bicam proceedings enabled the insertion in the budget law of provisions that were not in the versions approved by either House, and oftentimes not even discussed in either House, thus circumventing proper legislative scrutiny.
“The public access to the proceedings of bicameral conference committees will serve as a deterrent against questionable insertion and ensure that discussions remain within the scope of reconciling legitimate differences between House and Senate versions,” the resolution read.
Castro added “transparency in budget deliberations is crucial in enabling citizen participation in governance, ensuring that public funds are appropriated in accordance with the people’s needs and interests, and assuring the right of the people to hold senators and congresspersons into account for their action during proceedings,” he added.
The filing of the resolution came after the Senate Finance committee recommended excluding the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) 2025 budget—a move opposed by congressmen.
