WITH congressional deliberations on the P7.2-trillion national budget proposed for 2027, we are once again witnessing the usual sound and fury over items deemed questionable by one party or another. A number of local economists and think tanks have sallied forth to criticize the budget process and the scale of proposed expenditures for various things — particularly those that seem to be of unclear purpose — and just a few days ago, the 1,400-member strong Management Association of the Philippines