Hindi Ito Repair Shop’: Legarda Snaps at Last-Minute Budget Requests in Bicam Talks

Senator Loren Legarda did not mince words during bicameral conference committee deliberations after yet another round of last-minute budget requests from government agencies.

Her frustration boiled over — not because the projects lacked merit, but because they were never included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) in the first place.

And that, Legarda stressed, is the real problem.

“It’s not the senator’s job or the finance chair’s job to ask why it’s not in the NEP.
That’s exactly the question — why isn’t it there?”

⚖️ Bicam Is Not a Fix-It Desk

Legarda reminded agencies that bicam deliberations exist to reconcile differences between House and Senate versions — not to accommodate forgotten, rushed, or politically revived projects.

Projects that appear only at the last minute signal:

• Poor planning

• Weak internal coordination

• A culture of shortcut governance

“They should think of their NEP.”

🌍 Mindanao, Railways, and the Same Old Excuse

The flashpoint came as lawmakers questioned why important railway projects in Mindanao were missing from the budget.

The answer was blunt:
👉 The Department of Transportation (DOTr) did not include them in the NEP.

Legarda rejected the idea that senators should “fix” this oversight during bicam, calling it unfair and procedurally wrong.

🦅 AGILA TAKE (Satirical Jab)

Kapag kulang ang plano,
bicam ang takbuhan.
Kapag nahuli,
“urgent” ang dahilan.

Pero ang budget,
hindi puwedeng hinahabol sa huli.

🧱 A Call for Discipline and Oversight

Instead of scrambling during bicam, Legarda pushed for:

• Agencies to prepare complete budgets upfront

• Stronger oversight committees

• Earlier consultations before NEP submission

Good governance, she implied, starts before the budget reaches Congress.

📖 Biblical Reflection

“Let all things be done decently and in order.”
— 1 Corinthians 14:40

Order is not delay.
Order is protection.

🧠 Why This Matters

Every “last-minute request” weakens:

• Transparency

• Planning

• Public trust

Legarda’s outburst was not about anger — it was about drawing the line.

👉 If it’s important, it should be planned.
If it’s planned, it should be in the NEP.