Senate leaders: No ‘last-minute insertions’ in 2026 national budget

MANILA, Philippines — There were no “midnight deals” or “last-minute insertions done in the dark” during the bicameral conference committee’s approval of the P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, according to two Senate leaders. In a joint statement on Thursday, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said every stage of