EX-DBM CHIEF MUST FACE ACCOUNTABILITY IN BUDGET CONTROVERSY Atty. Barry Gutierrez said it would be “very difficult” to exclude the former DBM secretary from any investigation into alleged budget irregularities, noting that the issues fall directly within her mandate. He explained that while the DBM prepares the National Expenditure Program, the secretary is also expected to monitor the budget bill as it moves through Congress and raise concerns over drastic changes, such as the reported ₱100-bil

ABAD: 2026 BUDGET STRAINED BY DEBT PAYMENTS Former DBM Secretary Butch Abad told Atty. Edwin Lacierda and Nani Braganza that debt servicing alone consumes roughly half of the government’s revenues, highlighting the strain on the 2026 budget. He explained that with an approved budget of ₱6.735 trillion, the government must borrow ₱2.7 trillion to cover a ₱1.6 trillion deficit and repay ₱1.1 trillion in principal, leaving limited room for actual spending. More on this in the full episode of #TheSp