House Members Leila de Lima, Edgar Erice Question UAs in 2026 National Budget
LEILA DE LIMA – The Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Representative and House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Edgar Erice are set to file a petition against the 2026 national budget.
Last January 5, President Bongbong Marcos signed the 2026 national budget amounting to P6.79 trillion. The ceremonial signing was held at the Malacañang Palace and several officials of the Marcos Jr. administration were present at the event.
The Palace previously claimed that Marcos Jr. spent working Christmas holiday for the review of the proposed 2026 national budget approved by the bicameral conference committee. The President reportedly wants to see the difference between the original allocations in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) and the bicam-approved budget proposal.
On the first week of 2026, the country operated on a reenacted budget. Amid the flood control mess in the country, the bicam approved a budget for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that is more than P300 billion lower from the original proposed fund in the NEP.
Despite the lowering of the 2026 budget for the DPWH, the department stills gets the second biggest budget among the key departments in the government. The bicam approved to give the public works department P530.9 billion.
Here are the 2026 budget for the different key departments in the government as approved by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.:
- Department of Education — P1.015 trillion
- Department of Public Works and Highways — P530.9 billion
- Department of Health — P448.1 billion
- Department of the Interior and Local Government — P310.5 billion
- Department of National Defense — P310.0 billion
- Department of Agriculture — P297.1 billion
- Department of Social Welfare and Development — P270.2 billion
- Department of Transportation — P141.0 billion
- Department of Labor and Employment — P73.6 billion
- Judiciary — P70.6 billion
Marcos Jr. rejected some proposal for budget allocations in the 2026 national budget. The 7 budget allocations turned down by the President are the following:
- Government Counterpart for Certain Foreign-Assisted Projects: P35.77 billion
- Budgetary Support for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations: P6.895 billion
- Insurance of Government Assets and Interests: P2 billion
- Prior Years’ Local Government Unit Shares: P14.623 million
- RACE Program (Automotive Industry Competitiveness): P250 million
- CARS Program (Automotive Industry Support): P4.32 billion
- Payment of Personnel Services Requirements: P43.245 billion
Amid the claims of the Marcos Jr. administration that the 2026 national budget is allegedly clean, several House members are questioning the presence of unprogrammed funds in the government’s fund for next year. Among those who have questions are former Senator and Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Edgar Erice.
Based on a post of News5 on social media, ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Edgar Erice are set to file a petition against the UAs under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Previously, Malacañang spoke on the side of the Marcos Jr. administration over the 2026 national budget recently-signed by the President.