MANILA — Senator Imee Marcos said she did not sign the bicameral conference committee-approved version of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), citing concerns that it failed to eliminate the so-called pork barrel system despite efforts to promote transparency and accountability.

“Hindi ako pumirma sa ‘giniling budget.’ Kinikilala ko ang power of the purse ng Kongreso, pero hindi ko pinirmahan ang 2026 GAA Bicam Report at ang ratipikasyon nito sa Senado (I did not sign the ‘giniling (ground) budget’. I recognize the power of the purse of Congress, but I did not sign the 2026 GAA Bicam Report and its ratification by the Senate),” Marcos said in a statement.

In a media report, it noted that Marcos opposed the reduction of funds in government flagship projects, particularly foreign-assisted projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr), which she said totaled ₱124.58 billion in cuts from the National Expenditure Program (NEP). She cited projects such as the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and the Metro Manila Subway, which she said were not related to flood control.

The senator also criticized the transfer of eliminated flood control funds to social assistance programs, calling them “soft pork.” She specifically mentioned the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Program (MAIFIP), Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), TUPAD, Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF), farm-to-market roads (FMR), and the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), which she said are long associated with political incentives. The additional funds allocated to these programs amounted to ₱143.83 billion from the NEP.

“Tuwing mababanggit ang soft pork, hindi ko maiwasang isipin, na ito ay pork barrel pa rin (Whenever soft pork is mentioned, I can’t help but think, that it’s still pork barrel),” Marcos said. She added, “Ang budget na ito ay giniling-pork pa rin, giniling lang para ‘di halata…kaya ayoko pumirma (This budget is still grinded—pork, just ground so it’s not obvious…Thus, I will not sign).”

Congress ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the P6.793-trillion national budget last Monday, December 29, following livestreamed proceedings at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

Prior to the ratification, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Marcos, along with Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go—all members of the Senate minority bloc—did not sign the report.