Topic Request: What’s the Story Behind the ₱142.7 Billion Budget Insertion?
An overview of the ₱142.7 billion budget insertion controversy linked to Senate President Francis Escudero, breaking down the facts, figures, legal questions, and recent developments on the 2025 Philippine national budget.
A follower asked me what the story is behind the alleged budget insertion tied to Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero. Here's what we know so far—everything below is based on public records, media coverage, and official documents. No accusations here. Just verified facts and context.
Context: 2025 National Budget and Escudero’s Role
In December 2024, Congress finalized the ₱6.326-trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2025. This followed the proposal of a ₱6.352-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by Malacañang on July 29, 2024 (DBM, DOF).
Senate President Francis Escudero, elected on May 20, 2024, signed the bicameral conference committee report that reconciled the House and Senate versions of the budget. The report was ratified by Congress on December 11, 2024, and signed into law by President Marcos on December 30, 2024 (PhilStar).
What’s Being Questioned: ₱142.7 Billion in Budget Insertions
A Vera Files report flagged a total of ₱142.7 billion in insertions allegedly introduced during the bicam period. A 103-page bicam summary document obtained by media outlets included specific funding allocations to selected provinces.
A detailed list published by Politiko shows top allocations going to:
Bulacan – ₱12.08 billion
Sorsogon – ₱9.14 billion
Davao Region – ₱7.21 billion
The documents cite project labels such as “Construction of Flood Mitigation Structures – Nationwide,” many of which lacked engineering specifics. Several entries used round-number allocations, and some were split into smaller projects—features similar to those flagged in past pork barrel misuse cases.
The BARMM Comparison
For comparison, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) received a ₱94.41 billion budget for 2025 (Bangsamoro Parliament).
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, 34.8% of families in BARMM live below the poverty threshold based on the 2023 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (PSA).
Budget Cuts Elsewhere
While the ₱142.7 billion in insertions were introduced, other departments saw significant budget reductions:
The Department of Education (DepEd) experienced a ₱12 billion overall cut, of which ₱10 billion came from its computerization and ICT modernization programs, leaving ₱8 billion in the final budget for those items (PhilStar, GMA News).
Legal and Constitutional Questions
On January 29, 2025, a petition was filed with the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the 2025 budget, citing violations of:
Article VI, Section 25(1) – Improper augmentation of appropriations
Article XIV, Section 5(5) – Prioritization of education funding
Article II, Section 15 – The right to health
Article VI, Section 27 – Requirement for itemized appropriations
On February 4, 2025, the Court docketed the case and directed the House, Senate, and Executive to respond within ten days (Manila Bulletin).
Media reports also confirmed that certain bicam documents included blank budget line items that were filled in after ratification—raising concerns over procedural violations (BusinessWorld).
Presidential Vetoes
President Marcos vetoed ₱194 billion worth of items in the 2025 budget:
₱168.24 billion in unprogrammed appropriations
₱26.065 billion from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
However, the veto message did not cite any of the ₱142.7 billion in insertions published by the media (PCO).
Senate Support and Bloc Alignments
During the budget approval and leadership transition, 13 to 18 senators were reported to have supported Escudero’s Senate presidency. These figures come from media interviews with Senators Villanueva, Ejercito, and Estrada (Inquirer, Politiko).
While formal “whip” positions exist in the Senate, vote consolidation tends to operate more informally than in the House.
Historical Context
The Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scandal involving Janet Napoles, exposed in 2013, siphoned an estimated ₱10 billion in government funds. This led to a Supreme Court ruling declaring PDAF unconstitutional (Wikipedia).
In June 2024, Escudero stated in a GMA News interview that the 2025 budget process would be “transparent” and “free from questionable insertions.”
What Happens Next
As of July 23, 2025, the Supreme Court is reviewing multiple petitions challenging the budget’s legality. No formal investigation has been announced by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee or the Department of Justice, although former Senate President Vicente Sotto III publicly called for a Blue Ribbon probe on July 21, 2025 (Manila Standard).
The Commission on Audit (COA) has not released any audit observations related to the 2025 budget as disbursements only began in January.
It’s also worth noting that while Vera Files and Politiko cite official bicam documents, these files have not yet been publicly hosted, and should be treated as provisional until COA or DBM releases official tables.
SOURCES:
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) –
https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/pbbm-signs-2025-budget-vetoes-php194-b-projects/Department of Finance (DOF) –
https://www.dof.gov.ph/recto-php-6-326-trillion-national-budget-for-2025-most-powerful-tool-to-deliver-the-biggest-economic-benefits-to-filipinos-reaffirms-dofs-commitment-to-work-hard-in-funding-it/Department of Budget and Management (DBM) –
https://www.dbm.gov.ph/index.php/management-2/2844-fy-2025-budget-set-at-p6-352-tPhilippine Star (PhilStar) –
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/12/25/2409690/marcos-sign-2025-national-budget-december-30Vera Files –
https://verafiles.org/articles/secret-in-the-senate-the-ghastly-budget-insertions-of-chiz-escuderoPolitiko via Manila Standard –
https://manilastandard.net/news/314619054/sotto-to-seek-probe-into-alleged-p142-7b-insertions-in-25-budget.htmlBangsamoro Parliament –
https://parliament.bangsamoro.gov.ph/2024/12/10/bangsamoro-parliament-approves-p94-41-billion-barmm-budget-for-2025/Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) –
https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/survey/household/official-poverty-statisticsPhilippine Star (PhilStar) –
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/12/18/2408144/marcos-can-augment-any-item-budget-escuderoBusinessWorld –
https://www.bworldonline.com/the-nation/2025/01/26/648942/phls-2025-budget-law-faces-legal-challenges/Manila Bulletin (MB) –
https://mb.com.ph/2025/1/28/sc-asked-declare-2025-budget-law-unconstitutionalInquirer.net –
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2079809/proposal-backing-escudero-for-sp-now-has-15-to-16-signatures-ejercitoWikipedia – Pork Barrel Scam –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_barrel_scam
Note: Wikipedia is a publicly editable encyclopedia. While it can offer helpful summaries and context, it's not considered a primary source. Any data cited from it in this post should be cross-referenced with official or original materials when accuracy is critical.
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