In the halls of the Philippine legislature, a lawmaker's warning cut through the noise of budget deliberations: nearly a quarter of the nation's 2027 spending plan would be borrowed, a figure that has nearly doubled since 2016. Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio linked this swelling deficit to flood control projects mired in corruption allegations, asking a timeless question that haunts every republic — who truly bears the cost when public money is spent without public accountability. The debt, he reminded his colleagues, does not dissolve with the administration that incurred it; it passes,
Tinio flags 24% deficit spending in 2027 budget, links surge to flood control projects
Ordinary workers, teachers, farmers, and taxpayers bear the financial burden of debt-driven spending while essential social services remain underfunded.