Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III refuted claims that the Senate facilitated the insertion of discretionary or pork barrel funds worth billions of pesos in the proposed 2026 national budget.
This developed as ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio alleged that the Senate under the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) and realigned them to the pork barrel funds for local government units (LGUs).
“How can you get kickbacks on the mutual benefits of uniformed personnel? Do you tell all the policemen and soldiers to give us 10% to 20%?” Sotto said in a virtual interview with reporters.
“That’s absurd. I don’t know why there were talks about that being pork barrel. That’s impossible,” he added.
According to Sotto, the upper chamber has been transparent in the 2026 national budget process, with all budget documents uploaded on the Senate website.
“Everything is on the Senate website, including the provisions. So for you to speak like that, you either don’t understand or you don’t read. You know, when you point a finger, three fingers point back at you. Maybe that’s for those accusing us,” he said.
Both Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Senate committee on finance chairman Sherwin Gatchalian have also denied such pork barrel funds, saying the realignments would go to the .
The MPBF is a lump-sum fund under the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) utilized to cover the payment of various benefits and adjustments for national government employees, such as hazard pay, retirement gratuities, and terminal leaves.
Aside from the MPBF, the proposed funding for the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) was also criticized and was labeled as a “health pork barrel” for politicians.
Malacañang said that MAIFIP funds will not go through politicians, but would be , with the Department of Health (DOH) implementing the program.
Regardless of the allegations, Sotto maintained that the historic 2026 budget process remains transparent to the public.
“This will be the benchmark of how budget should be done… I’m only speaking for the Senate. From Day One, we put everything that happened on the Senate website. I ask those who have questions to read the provision,” the Senate leader said.
“What’s important is not only that the budget process was open, and there’s live streaming so people could watch the bicam. What’s important is everything is on the website, may it be just a semicolon, period, exclamation point. Everything is there on the Senate website. That is the most important of all,” he added.
The bicameral conference committee adjourned early Thursday morning, after wrapping up extensive deliberations on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for fiscal year 2026 after four days.
Senate
The **Senate** is a legislative governing body, most famously the upper house of the United States Congress, established by the U.S. Constitution in 1789. Historically, the concept dates back to ancient Rome’s *Senatus*, a council of elders that advised magistrates and shaped the republic’s laws and policies.
Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF)
The Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) is not a public cultural or historical site, but an internal U.S. government financial account. It was established to manage appropriated funds for specific personnel benefits and allowances, such as those for foreign service officers, that fall outside standard payroll systems. Its history is administrative, tied to the management of federal employee compensation rather than public cultural heritage.
Department of Budget and Management (DBM)
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is the Philippine government’s executive body responsible for the efficient and strategic management of the country’s financial resources and national budget. It was formally established as an independent department in 1936 during the Commonwealth era, evolving from earlier budget offices to centralize fiscal planning and ensure the accountability of public funds. Its core mandate is to promote sound, efficient, and transparent fiscal policy in support of national development goals.
Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP)
“Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP)” is not a physical place or cultural site, but a government healthcare program in the Philippines. It was established to provide medical and financial assistance to impoverished and severely ill patients who cannot afford treatment, often through partnerships with government hospitals. The program aims to ensure access to essential healthcare services for the country’s most vulnerable populations.
Department of Health (DOH)
The Department of Health (DOH) is the principal health agency of the Philippine government, established in 1898 during the First Philippine Republic. It is responsible for ensuring access to basic public health services, formulating national health policies, and managing the country’s healthcare system. Its history reflects the evolution of public health administration in the Philippines from the colonial era to the present day.
Malacañang
Malacañang Palace is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines, located in Manila. Originally built in 1750 as a private summer house by a Spanish aristocrat, it was later purchased by the colonial government and became the governor-general’s residence. It has served as the seat of executive power since the Spanish colonial era, through American rule, and into the present Philippine Republic.
bicameral conference committee
A bicameral conference committee is a temporary legislative body formed to resolve differences between versions of a bill passed by the two chambers of a legislature (e.g., the House and Senate in the U.S. Congress). Its history is rooted in the practical need for compromise in bicameral systems, allowing appointed members from each chamber to negotiate a single, unified version of proposed legislation for final approval.
Senate website
The United States Senate website (senate.gov) is the official online portal for the U.S. Senate, one of the two chambers of Congress. It was launched in the mid-1990s as part of the federal government’s move to digital information, providing public access to legislative activities, historical records, and senator profiles. The site serves as a key resource for understanding the Senate’s role in American government, from its establishment in 1789 to its current proceedings.
