JV Ejercito: Nov. 3 budget meeting to tackle bicam schedule, not realignment

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The Nov. 3 meeting on the proposed 2027 national budget will focus on coordination and scheduling rather than the alleged realignment of funds, Senate finance committee chairperson JV Ejercito said Tuesday.

According to a report by Nimfa Ravelo on Super Radyo dzBB, Ejercito clarified that Tuesday's meeting would cover coordination, the schedule and parameters of the bicameral conference committee meetings, which will be attended by representatives of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Ejercito earlier said the proposed 2027 budget would be reviewed and finalized in the second or third week of December to allow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to sign it before the end of 2026.

The senator also said he would meet with House appropriations panel senior vice chairperson Albert Garcia of Bataan, as the panel's chairperson, Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, recently gave birth.

Ejercito earlier questioned the reported realignment of around P206 billion in the House of Representatives' version of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.

The Senate finance committee chairperson noted that allocations for some agencies had increased, including those for the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The meeting on the proposed 2027 national budget comes amid close scrutiny from civil society groups and budget watchdogs over red flags they have identified in the House-approved version, including the reported P206-billion realignment.

They are also closely watching what adjustments or corrections will be made when the House and Senate convene as a bicameral conference committee.— Mariel Celine Serquiña/MCG, GMA News

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