Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. on Saturday said the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will not affect the upcoming deliberations on the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.

“Palagay ko hindi naman,” Abante said during the Saturday News Forum.

He explained that the impeachment court usually convenes in the morning, while budget deliberations are scheduled in the afternoon, allowing the two proceedings to take place simultaneously.

“Nakita naman natin na pagkatapos, four hours lang ang impeachment court sa umaga, 3 o'clock [p.m.] deliberations na ‘yan,” Abante said.

The House Committee on Appropriations is set to begin next week its hearings on the proposed budgets of various government agencies.

The 2027 budget process began with the submission of the National Expenditure Program (NEP), the administration’s proposed spending plan for the year.

The Department of Budget and Management formally transmitted the 2027 NEP to the House of Representatives on August 11.

Under the budget process, the proposed national budget is first submitted to the House, which assigns its initial review to the Committee on Appropriations before the measure proceeds to plenary deliberations and approval.