Senator Erwin Tulfo said some members of the House of Representatives are blocking the livestream of the bicameral conference committee meeting for the 2026 national budget.
Tulfo said the Senate wants the meeting to be publicly accessible, allowing citizens to follow discussions on budget versions proposed by both chambers. “That’s everyone’s budget. That’s our money. It’s not the senators’ money, nor the congressmen’s,” Tulfo told reporters. “We need to show it live, up to the last minute, the last centavo, so people can see it.”
He did not name the specific House members allegedly opposing the livestream. The bicameral conference is intended to reconcile differences between Senate and House budget proposals before final approval.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had previously called in October 2025 for the bicameral sessions to be livestreamed. This would have been the first time such transparency is applied, aimed at preventing undisclosed insertions and anomalies in the budget.
Tulfo emphasized the importance of public access, saying lawmakers should not fear scrutiny if nothing is being hidden. The Senate is pushing for full visibility to ensure accountability in how government funds are allocated and spent.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between the Senate and the House over transparency measures for budget deliberations, with citizens and watchdog groups closely monitoring the developments.
