17/10/2025
Chiz Escudero Pushes for Transparency Amid Budget Insertion Controversy
Despite being accused by Tito Sotto of making billions worth of “insertions” in the 2025 national budget, Senator Chiz Escudero remained calm and composed, saying the issue is being blown out of proportion and may even be politically motivated.
According to Escudero, budget insertions are not illegal nor unusual. “Normal ‘yan sa budget process,” he explained. Every senator has the right to recommend or amend allocations for projects in their respective regions, and all of those go through proper review by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the bicameral conference committee before being approved.
He emphasized that these so-called “insertions” are transparent and documented, not secret transactions. “Hindi ito tagong pondo. Makikita sa records ng Senado kung ano ang inirekomenda ng bawat isa,” he said.
Escudero also denied the figures being thrown around, from ₱142 billion to ₱150 billion allegedly tied to him. He called these numbers inaccurate and misleading, explaining that the total proposed amendments from all senators reached around ₱600 billion, but many of those were either reduced, revised, or deleted before the final budget was signed. “Hindi ibig sabihin na lahat ng proposal ay naaprubahan,” he clarified.
He also stressed that none of the projects he endorsed were for his personal gain. “Walang proyekto para sa sarili o sa pamilya ko. Lahat ‘yan para sa mga komunidad,” he said. Escudero even invited the Commission on Audit (COA) to look into all the projects, not just his, but everyone’s, to ensure fairness.
As for the timing of the issue, Escudero hinted that politics could be involved. He noted that the accusations came out just as talks about Senate leadership and political alignments started heating up. “Medyo halata naman, may halong pulitika. Luma nang style ‘yan, demolition job kapag ayaw ka sa pwesto,” he said with a smile.
Instead of retaliating, Escudero called for transparency. He challenged the Senate to publicly release the full list of amendments from all senators. “Kung gusto talaga ng katotohanan, ilabas lahat. Kung ako ang may pinakamalaki, handa akong managot, basta patas ang laban,” he said.
In the end, Escudero said he’d rather focus on work than on political noise. “Habang abala ang iba sa intriga, mas pipiliin kong magtrabaho. Ang importante, malinaw ang konsensya at alam mong tama ang ginagawa mo.”