Watchdog warns 2027 Philippine budget is driven by political patronage
A budget oversight body says the House-approved 2027 budget is shaped by political motives, channeling money into projects vulnerable to patronage.
The fiscal plan for 2027, recently cleared on second reading by the House, has been labeled by a budget watchdog as overly political. The agency claims legislators are steering funds toward initiatives that could be used for clientelism and that allocations appear to have been reshuffled for partisan reasons. It warns that such practices could undermine transparent and needs-based spending.
