A Midnight Heist in Manila: The P142-Billion Budget Insertion That Never Was

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It was no ordinary day at the Batasan Complex. Manila's streets were still drowned from flooding. It was a non-working holiday—quiet, even eerie. But inside the bicameral committee office, the hum of fluorescent lights masked a shockwave that would soon shake the nation.

Senate President Chiz Escudero had allegedly slid a P142-billion insertion into the 2026 national budget—not during official deliberations, not on the Senate floor—but under cover of quiet secrecy. According to whistle-blowers, he braved both mighty floods and the silence of an office closed to the public, leaning over staff shoulders to ensure the change made it into the enrolled bill. 

CCTV footage, released recently, showed a familiar silhouette: Escudero calmly walking through the North Wing of the Batasan, making his way to the bicameral staff. The footage raised more questions than answers—but it confirmed what many had whispered in outrage: he snuck in. 

The Outrage: Democracy Disrupted

“Just two percent of the budget,” he defended himself. “What’s the big deal?” A budget as vast as P6.793-trillion, he said—if it’s just 2%, is anyone really harmed?

The answer, resounding across social media and opinion columns, is yes.

Because legislation isn’t a stealth mission. Every word, every punctuation, every digit is scrutinized, debated, interpellated, revised, and voted on. To bypass that is to stand next to the goalkeeper in football while the rest of the team is on defense—it’s offside. It’s camping under the basket in basketball; a three-second violation. It’s a one-man Congress without a mandate. 

The Defense: A Demolition Job, He Claims

Escudero dismissed the allegations as a "demolition job." He claimed the total Senate amendments to the 2025 budget—earlier news reports' focus of scrutiny—totaled about P600 billion, shifting numbers all over the headlines: at one point P9 billion for Sorsogon, then P12 billion for Bulacan, then P142 billion, then P150 billion. “Which is it?” he demanded, turning the hunt for clarity into a disorienting chase. 

He insisted his so-called visit to the bicameral office was routine oversight—making sure staff were doing their jobs. As Senate President and bicam member, he said, he had the right to be there. 

The Counterpunch from the House

But the House wasn’t buying it. A spokesperson, Princess Abante, fired back: “Why does he always throw shade at us when faced with criticism? Maybe it’s better if he just answers the questions.” 

But Wait—The Flood Control Connection

Adding fuel to the fire, President Bongbong Marcos held a press briefing exposing a far larger scheme: over P500 billion in flood-control funds that went to private contractors. Top firms laughed all the way to the bank.

Shockingly, one of these contractors had recently donated P30 million to Chiz’s campaign—and later secured a P5.1 billion flood-control project contract. Now that’s a storyline with a sinister echo—“riding on a boat” while Manila’s streets flooded. 

The Chiz Paradigm: The Illusion of Innocence

When caught, Chiz’s default defense is: “My sin is small—compared to theirs, it’s nothing.” He insists that a 1% misstep is negligible. It’s a classic ploy—distract with scale, shift blame to others, and evoke sympathy for being unfairly targeted. Then he tacks on unrelated issues—like his support for Sara Duterte—to muddy the waters even further.

In his mind, uproar over process is just “mean,” an affront to his saintly intentions.

The Constitutional Crisis Unfolds

Remember the impeachment trial? In that fraught moment, Chiz refused to assert Senate jurisdiction, plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis. On his watch, the Senate became less a body of deliberation and more a one-man show. And now this bold insertion, done under cover and without transparency—it’s the final straw for critics who say: Enough. Abolish the Senate.

Final Thoughts

This is not just politics—it’s theater, with floodwaters as the backdrop, CCTV as the spotlight, and millions of pesos at stake. It’s legislative process bypassed, norms shattered, accountability obscured. And Escudero, center stage, asks: “Are we so harsh? Aren’t you bigger than the scandal?”

It’s a grand performance, but the audience is not buying the act. Because process is non-negotiable. Democracy doesn’t bend for convenience—even when the floods make the roads impassable.

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