Sen. Gatchalian urges removal of unprogrammed funds amid corruption concerns

Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian has called for the removal of unprogrammed funds from the national budget, warning that their inclusion increases the risk of corruption and misuse due to the lack of transparency and oversight in their allocation and spending.

During the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday, Gatchalian shared that he had recommended to Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III the removal of unprogrammed funds, except those intended for foreign-assisted projects. He explained that such projects require specific budget items, as loan disbursements for them are expected by 2026.

The senator also raised concern over the large lump-sum allocation for the Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs (SAGIP), estimated at between P100 billion and P120 billion. He noted that this fund lacks itemization, allowing projects to be inserted without proper transparency. Gatchalian added that in the 2023 and 2024 budgets, nearly half of the SAGIP allocation went to flood control projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which were later approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) despite having no detailed breakdown since they came from unprogrammed funds.

He warned that the absence of itemized details opens the door to potential fund misuse and weakens congressional oversight. While Gatchalian acknowledged that unprogrammed funds are technically allowed, he emphasized that the lack of transparency remains a serious issue.

The senator further noted that lawmakers are often informed about these projects only after implementation. To prevent this, he recommended retaining only the foreign-assisted portions of unprogrammed funds and removing all other allocations.