Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco is once again shaking the foundations of congressional budget practices, this time by demanding that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) disclose allocations tied to party-list representatives — not just district lawmakers. His call is a pointed response to what he describes as “Zaldy Co-style” schemes, referring to the former Ako Bicol party-list representative accused of inserting projects into the national budget without district coordination.

Tiangco’s critique exposes a long-standing vulnerability in the Philippine budget process: the opaque role of party-list groups in infrastructure funding. While district allocations are increasingly scrutinized, party-list projects often fly under the radar, creating fertile ground for patronage politics and unaccountable spending.

“Ang daming project na ininsert ni Zaldy Co na hindi naman nire-request ng kinatawan ng distrito,” Tiangco said — a direct accusation that underscores how budget insertions can bypass local oversight.

His push for transparency isn’t new. Tiangco has consistently opposed the “small committee” system, which allowed last-minute budget tweaks with minimal scrutiny. He only supported the 2026 House General Appropriations Bill after confirming that two of his long-standing reforms — the abolition of the small committee and plenary debates on amendments — were adopted.

But the deeper issue remains: Why are party-list allocations still hidden from public view? If these groups claim to represent marginalized sectors, shouldn’t their projects be subject to the same public accountability as district representatives?

Tiangco’s proposal — to publish both district and party-list DPWH allocations on the House website — is a litmus test for Congress’s commitment to transparency. If lawmakers resist, it raises uncomfortable questions about who benefits from the current system and why secrecy persists.