MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos is able to order a sweeping overview of the proposed budgets of companies, Malacañang mentioned yesterday because it urged the totally different companies to examine their respective proposed outlays for doable insertions and different questionable gadgets.
The administration is trying into alleged anomalies that resulted in substandard or non-existent flood management tasks, an issue extensively believed to have worsened the consequences of cyclones and different climate disturbances.
Marcos has ordered a way of life examine on officers and a radical overview of the funds of the Division of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), that he mentioned was dotted with insertions.
Nonetheless, some lawmakers claimed that there are additionally questionable gadgets within the spending program of different companies, together with the firearms deal of the inside and native authorities division, farm- to-market roads of the agriculture division and a beautification program of the well being division.
“If there are different companies concerned, the directive of the President would be the similar,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro mentioned at a press briefing yesterday.
Castro inspired companies to examine their respective proposed outlays for doable insertions and different questionable gadgets.
“Maybe, given these observations, it will be higher for different companies to take a look at (the funds proposals) they reported. There is perhaps insertions that aren’t imagined to be there,” the Palace press officer mentioned.
Newly appointed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon mentioned he met with Finances Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on Wednesday to debate adjustments in his division’s funds. “I used to be instructed the DPWH funds within the NEP is 700 pages; I would like to check it,” Dizon mentioned at a briefing.
The Marcos administration is looking for a P6.793-trillion nationwide funds for 2026, larger than this 12 months’s P6.326-trillion outlay.
On the briefing, Castro assailed claims that the investigation on the flood management tasks is focusing on Vice President Sara Duterte and her allies.
Duterte, a former ally-turned-arch critic of Marcos, had alleged that the probe was supposed to divert consideration from an alleged scheme – which she didn’t specify – being orchestrated behind the scenes. Sen. Imee Marcos, elder sister of the President and an in depth ally of Duterte, claimed that there’s a plan to eliminate the Vice President earlier than 2027.
“There’s nothing to fret about of their statements. They’re simply creations of fertile and wild creativeness,” Castro mentioned.
Requested what Malacañang intends to do in case the flood management controversy spawns widespread protests, Castro mentioned the investigation just isn’t meant to stir anger, however to find out what occurred to the tasks that had been supposed to learn the general public.
Castro additionally revealed that the chief order creating an impartial fee that might look into the flood management tasks is already being finalized.
PCAB overhaul sought
As legislative inquiry into flood management tasks continues, Sen. Panfilo Lacson is asking for an entire overhaul of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) following the resignation of its government director Herbert Matienzo.
“A whole overhaul of the PCAB board is so as at this level. The PCAB has been a low-key but corrupt-ridden regulatory physique which, in tandem with the Division of Public Works and Highways has methodically punched us within the intestine, offering the primary of a one-two punch thus knocking out our hard-earned tax funds,” Lacson mentioned. Matienzo resigned reportedly for private causes.
It was Lacson who uncovered an alleged “accreditation on the market” within the PCAB in addition to circumstances of battle of curiosity involving board members Erni Baggao and Arthur Escalante who had been discovered to have their very own development corporations with contracts with the federal government.
Lacson slammed the “stench of corruption” within the DPWH and different companies tasked with implementing public works.
“Nakakapagod. After I left the Senate three years in the past, the stench of corruption was restricted to some graft-ridden companies identified for the malevolent execution of their tasks. Now, the stench has penetrated the corridors of the Nationwide Expenditure Program via insertions with DPWH and Congress colluding,” Lacson mentioned.
For his half, Sen. Erwin Tulfo mentioned the investigation on alleged corruption within the PCAB shouldn’t cease with its official’s resignation. “Simply because they resigned doesn’t imply they’re off the hook. They continue to be underneath investigation even when they’re not in place,” Tulfo mentioned in Filipino, referring apparently to the resignation of Matienzo.
“However these officers who resigned or obtained fired could also be requested to speak or stand as witnesses in all investigations on anomalous DPWH tasks,” he added.
He additionally cited his proposal to amend Republic Act 4566 or the “Contractors’ License Regulation” looking for to vary the PCAB composition and forestall battle of curiosity amongst its members.
Lacson additionally mentioned the Home of Representatives can’t simply return the Nationwide Expenditure Program (NEP) to Malacañang over “mangled” entries.
“BUDGET 101: Congress can’t return the NEP to Malacañang since it’s only a funds proposal, not an Enrolled Invoice for approval or line-item veto by the President. Nonetheless, the DPWH via the DBM could submit errata sheets however it’s as much as Congress to undertake such ‘errata’ or not,” Lacson mentioned.
Chatting with The STAR’s “Reality on the Line” yesterday, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian mentioned the Senate’s funds timeline stays the identical regardless of the Home presumably returning the NEP to the Division of Finances and Administration.
“Nonetheless, no matter occurs, I consulted with the opposite senators and all of us agreed that our briefings will proceed,” mentioned Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate finance committee.
“We’re very acutely aware of the time. We wish to be sure we cross the funds earlier than the 12 months ends,” Gatchalian mentioned.
“No matter occurs, if there are adjustments within the funds of a specific company, then we are going to simply rehear them,” he added.
NEP again to DBM?
On the Home, Antipolo 1st district Rep. Ronaldo Puno mentioned Speaker Martin Romualdez has authorized the decision of colleagues and get together leaders to return NEP to the DBM for revision and corrections.
Puno mentioned Romualdez made his place identified final Wednesday throughout a gathering with Home get together leaders.
However Puno mentioned Romualdez made it clear that solely questionable parts and never your entire NEP could be returned to the DBM.
“He (Romualdez) mentioned that it is perhaps higher if we won’t return all, your entire NEP, as a result of there are some companies which can be OK, so, we agreed, we mentioned Speaker it may be executed that manner,” Puno mentioned over radio dzBB.
Puno mentioned Romualdez instructed them to “clearly level out” to the DBM their issues and the errors within the funds for his or her congressional districts.
“He (Romualdez) instructed us to level out in our criticism, and even carry it to the media if wanted. So, all of us agreed,” he mentioned.
“So, what we are going to do now in DPWH is as an alternative of returning all (the NEP), we are going to current every concern of the congressional districts with issues, regardless of if it should take us two days or extra to boost our considerations. The Speaker mentioned, you level out each single downside that each district has,” he added.
Puno mentioned they don’t intend to revise the NEP so that they gained’t be accused once more of placing insertions within the funds.
“We can’t do the correction with errata, as a result of errata solely means altering the spelling, the strains, the wordings, however not altering your entire web page as a result of that may not be an errata. Will probably be a significant revision already,” he added. He the President had already ordered the DBM to revise the entire funds for 2026.
In the meantime, the Makabayan bloc within the Home mentioned Malacañang’s order for a sweeping overview of the nationwide funds – particularly DPWH’s – was an act of harm management in response to allegations of large corruption.- Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Jose Rodel Clapano, Rainier Allan Ronda
