The Senate of the Philippines resumed its plenary debates on the 6.793-trillion-peso 2026 national budget (House Bill No. 4058) on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. Senators on Day 4 zeroed in on the allocations for key agencies vital to delivering swift justice and genuine service to Filipinos. 

The focused departments included the Judiciary Department, the Congress of the Philippines, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, and the Department of Migrant Workers.

The proposed 67.77-billion peso budget for the Judiciary drew immediate scrutiny. Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, sponsoring the allocation, emphasized the urgent need for modernization, particularly to address crippling case backlogs and slow case disposition.

Anti-corruption efforts within the justice system also surfaced prominently. Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson pushed for the inclusion of 250 million pesos to operationalize the newly reorganized Judicial Integrity Office (JIO). 

“I’m sure there is a budgetary requirement so it can be fully organized and to make it fully operationalized.” the senator said.

Senator Lacson argued the relatively small amount was a crucial investment against the "hundreds of billions" lost to corruption, stressing that the JIO would strengthen accountability among judges and court personnel.

“Judicial Integrity Office this will be primarily tasked to promote integrity and to address the issues of corruption within the Judiciary,” the Senate Pro Tempore added.

Meanwhile, the spending plan for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) faced review, highlighting the government’s commitment to its overseas workers. 

The Senate intends to allocate public funds directly toward critical services and protection for one of the nation’s most important sectors.

‍