Lacson Allegesโฃ DPWH Official Sought Budget “Insertions,” Marcos Vows to Expose “Greedy Flood-Control Profiteers”
MANILA, Philippines โค- โฃSenator Panfilo Lacson hasโฃ revealedโ that a โขDepartmentโค of Public Works โขand Highways (DPWH) undersecretary solicitedโ “insertions” into the proposed 2026 budget, prompting a firm commitment from President Ferdinandโฃ Marcos Jr. to investigate and โprosecute those โprofiting from possibly anomalous flood control projects. โขThe developmentsโค come amid scrutiny of the DPWHS proposed P881.3โ billion spending plan โขfor next year, including a โฃsubstantial P250.8 billionโฃ earmarked for flood control.Lacson, inโ a post โon Xโค (formerly Twitter) Sunday, assured President โMarcosโฃ of his determination to โขexpose profiteering,โ stating, “You have given โฃmeโค andโ my team the firm resolve to doโฃ ourโค part in exposing, even compiling solid โevidence to nail these ‘greedy flood-control profiteers’ and their cohorts both in the public and private sectors. We haveโฃ your back, Sir.”
The President, visibly upsetโข in a teaser video for his podcast Saturday โnight, โexpressed his frustration with Filipinos struggling whileโ others profit, saying ordinary citizens “workโ very hard for their families, yet โขsuffer.”
Theโข controversy has also sparked callsโ for a budgetโ realignment. Senate President โฃFrancis Escudero wants to shift funds from the proposed flood โขcontrol budget to prioritize health,education,and food production. He noted โtheโ P250.8 billion allocated for flood control โrepresentsโค one-third of the entire DPWH budget and is twenty times the P13 billionโ proposed forโ new school building construction. “If we โฃletโ this โขstand as it โis, this budget will be deluged withโ criticism,” โคEscudero stated.
The DPWH’sโ proposed budgetโ breakdown includes P108 โคbillion for “asset preservation,” P182.5 billion for “network growth,” P52 billion for “bridges,” P15.4 billion โfor “local programs,”โค and โขP167.8 billion for “convergence and special support.”โข Escudero has urged the Department of Budget and Management to “recast the DPWH budgetโค and shrink โฃthe flood control โฃfunds to theโค required minimum for places where people are really in harm’s wayโข when the rains come.”
Separately, Senator Erwin tulfo announced plans โคto file a resolution Monday to review the Contractors’ โLicense Law โ(Republic Act 4566) โฃandโ the operations of โฃthe Philippine โContractors Accreditation โขBoard (PCAB). Tulfo questioned the legality and ethics of requiring PCAB membership – and board positions -โค to be held byโข licensed โcontractors,citing a clear โขconflict of interest.
“how can โthay monitor, oversee, โand regulate construction projectsโฆ if they themselvesโ are also contractors?” Tulfo asked.He believes the current system has “become a gateway for โฃcorruption” and warrants reform or even abolition.
The DPWH website lists Maria Catalina Cabral as undersecretary for planning,Public-Private Partnership,and Data Managementโฃ Services.โข Theโฃ investigations areโ ongoing, โฃwithโค a focusโ on ensuringโค transparency and accountability โin the allocation โคof public funds for critical infrastructure projects.
