Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco doubled down on his challenge to the House Committee on Appropriations to fully disclose all amendments made by the small committee to the 2025 national budget, calling it the essential first step toward genuine budget reform.

He emphasized that before discussing the 2026 budget, Congress must first come clean on how the 2025 budget was altered.

“Sa lahat ng bagay, bago ka humingi ng bagong budget, dapat ipakita mo muna ‘yong paggastos sa nakaraang budget. Bago pag-usapan ang 2026 budget, dapat lang na ipakita muna ang 2025 small committee amendments,” Tiangco said.

He added that once the appropriations panel forms its so-called “sub-committee on budget amendments review,” its top and non-negotiable priority must be to investigate and expose the insertions made by the 2025 small committee.

“Kung seryoso kayo and to show good faith, ang first step is ilabas nila ang amendments ng small committee noong 2025 budget. Kung ayaw nila ilabas ’yan, lokohan lang ito,” he said during an interview on Headstart with Karen Davila.

Tiangco said Congress should not gloss over the controversy surrounding the 2025 budget, and instead hold members of the small committee accountable for the amendments they made.

“Non-negotiable yan. Kung gusto namin ipakita na transparent kami, ipakita nila ‘yong amendments ng small committee sa 2025 budget,” he said.

“Hindi ko papakawalan ang 2025 small committee. We have to be accountable. Pera ng taumbayan yan. Hindi pupwedeng kalimutan na lang natin yan,” he added.

Tiangco challenged Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, who chaired the House Committee on Appropriations that crafted the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), to explain and release the amendments made by the small committee.

“Congressman Zaldy Co should show [the amendments]. Siya ang chairperson noon. Alangan namang hindi niya alam. Kung hindi niya alam, sino ang gumawa noon? Ipakita niya,” he said.

“The leadership of the House should demand it from him. Otherwise, we are only covering up each other. If the leadership of the House will not demand it from Congressman Zaldy Co, that means we are just trying to cover up,” he added.

Tiangco also pointed out that the small committee is the first opportunity for lawmakers to insert amendments into the budget.

“Nagcoconcentrate ang iba sa bicam pero ang bicam sa huli na yan. Ang unang opportunity na magkaroon ng insertions o amendment is the small committee,” he said.

“Saan ba ang tyansa ng House na mag-amend? Sa small committee. Tapos pag inaprubahan ng House, magkaiba ang version ng House. Magkaiba ang version ng Senate. Doon (sa Bicam) ulit ‘yong amendments. So, dalawa ang pagkakataon na mag-amend. Doon sa bicam, ang problema hindi naisapubliko pero may pinirmahan sila. Pero ang small committee, ni wala ngang report,” he added.

Tiangco explained that during budget deliberations, the House Majority grants the small committee the power to accept and decide on individual amendments in the budget after its approval on second reading.

“Halimbawa, inapprove namin ang version na ito [ng budget], pero binigyan naman namin ng kapangyarihan ang small committee na baguhin kung anuman ang inapprove namin at iyon na ang magiging final version. Pagbalik namin, makukuha namin ang libro at kung ano ang ginawa ng small committee, ‘yon na ‘yon. Paano ka pa aangal? Sa third reading, yes or no na lang ‘yon, wala ng amendments,” he added.

Tiangco also questioned how the small committee came up with such massive additional allocations for two congressional districts in the 2025 budget.

Citing data from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), he revealed that one district was allocated ₱20.999 billion in the 2025 GAA—₱18.469 billion more than its original ₱2.53 billion in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Another district, he said, received ₱20.795 billion in the GAA—₱19.286 billion more than its initial ₱1.508 billion in the NEP.

He declined to name the districts, saying it was possible the respective district representatives were unaware of the changes.

“To be fair to the district congressmen, pwedeng nangyari ‘yan na hindi nila alam kasi lumabas na lang ‘yan e. Pero hindi puwedeng nangyari ‘yan na hindi alam ng chairman ng committee on appropriations,” he said.

Tiangco also noted that, as of July 29, around ₱84 billion in the national budget was withheld by President Marcos, Jr. due to questionable insertions.

“Alam ko na galit sya [President Marcos] kasi hindi niya pinaparelease ‘yang mga ‘yan,” he said.

“Ang nakakapagtaka doon, congressman ka di ba? Hihingi ka ng project, dadalhin mo sa distrito mo. ‘Yong iba, hiningi ng isang congressman, dinala niya sa ibang distrito. So, how do you explain that? Kaya ang karamihan ng naka-hold doon, ‘yong iba ‘yong proponent sa distritong pupuntahan,” he added.