Senators mull budget overhaul for DPWH
PHILIPPINE Senators on Tuesday are pushing to amend or delete the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over “red flagged” projects.
“We can delete the whole DPWH budget and allow the new secretary to do a new budget, so he will submit a supplemental budget. That is allowed by the process,” Senator Loren Regina B. Legarda said during the Senate budget hearing.
The department is now being headed by former Transportation Secretary Vivencio “Vince” B. Dizon after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. accepted the resignation of Manuel M. Bonoan as Public Works Secretary.
“If the body is not agreeable to that, the House can propose errata to the respective districts. So that the red flagged projects, like flood control, can be converted elsewhere either the DPWH or even another department,” she added.
Senator Panfilo M. Lacson also proposed to schedule an executive session with the Budget department after he flagged more than 500 flood control projects in the National Capital Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and central Luzon with similar costs.
Mr. Lacson, in his presentation, noted that there were 88 projects with P150-million funding each, totaling P13.2 billion, 373 projects with P100-million funding each, totaling P37.3 billion, and 11 items with P120-million funding each, that totaled P1.32 billion.
“With your guidance we are willing to amend and delete all these similarly costing projects,” he told the Department of Budget and Management.
He added that the executive session would allow the Senate to redirect the slashed budget to programs in line with the Philippine Medium Term Development Plan.
Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said that she will coordinate with newly appointed Public Works Secretary Dizon on the matter.
The agency has among the largest allocation under the proposed 2026 national budget at P881 billion, according to the National Expenditure Plan.
‘NEGATIVE LIST’
Also on Tuesday, Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero called on the Presidential Palace to create a “negative list” of potential non-essential or questionable infrastructure projects that should be defunded in the 2026 National Expenditure Plan.
“Instead of waiting for questionable projects to slip into the budget and then expose them after the fact, we should be proactive. The Palace should make it clear from the start that these kinds of projects will not be entertained,” Mr. Escudero said in a statement.
The Senate chief is also pushing for a potential moratorium on new flood control projects under the DPWH’s proposed budget, noting unfinished projects within the agency’s pipeline.
“Let’s finish the pending projects and fix the plan before we continue with them. We should give Secretary Dizon the opportunity to fix the system first,” he said.
“Let’s redirect those funds to waste-to-energy plants, refuse-derived fuel facilities, and other measures that address garbage, clogged drainage systems, and reduced water-holding capacity in rivers and waterways. These are among the real drivers of flooding in Metro Manila and other urban centers,” he said.
The DPWH has been under scrutiny over the alleged misuse of government funding allocated for flood control projects.
The Senate is currently conducting a probe on anomalous projects flagged by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
Since 2022, about P544 billion in public funds have been allocated for flood control nationwide, with about P100 billion cornered by the top 15 contractors named by Mr. Marcos.
Investigations are also underway at the House of Representatives, where a joint committee on Tuesday moved to require its members to disclose any links to infrastructure contractors.
Members of the House joint committee on Public Accounts, Public Works and Good Government must submit a “full disclosure” of any business and financial links with contractors to clear a possible conflict of interest in their investigation, according to the motion of Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Jose Manuel Tadeo “Chel” I. Diokno.
“There were at least 67 members of the House of Representatives during the 19th Congress who were operating construction businesses that had projects that they themselves had allocated funding for,” he told congressmen.
Authorities have come under fire amid widespread flooding and mounting criticism over the failure of flood control infrastructure nationwide, with lawmakers and contractors suspected of collusion and corruption.
“You can always assure fairness, transparency… and that the body will be partial. But will the people believe these assurances?” Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Leila M. de Lima said in the same hearing. “People have heard about the involvement of elected public officials, including members of Congress… [on the] issue of anomalous flood control projects.”
The House joint committee also issued a subpoena to five contractors that did not attend the hearing, compelling their attendance for the next.
INDEPENDENT BODY
Meanwhile, Mr. Dizon on Tuesday said he will dissolve DPWH’s internal anti-corruption task force, following the President’s decision to establish an independent commission to investigate corruption allegations.
“With all due respect to the officials who created the task force, I do not believe that an organization should investigate itself. That is not right,” Mr. Dizon told reporters, according to a transcript shared by his office.
“The President has spoken—he will set up an independent commission. We should respect his wisdom. That is why I will abolish the task force today.”
The task force was created under former DPWH Secretary Bonoan to look into alleged irregularities within the department.
Mr. Dizon clarified that all initial findings of the task force will be turned over to the independent body. “We will gather the information from within the department and pass it on to the commission.”
Mr. Dizon said that he has not received any official details on the composition of the commission amid reports that Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong and retired General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang, Jr. will be among its members.
“If it is true, it would be a very welcome development. Mayor Magalong has long been at the forefront of anti-corruption efforts,” he added.
The Secretary also declined to recommend who should head the commission.
“It is not in my position to recommend. That is the sole prerogative of the President, and we must trust and respect his decision,” he said.
Mr. Dizon also confirmed plans to inspect the DPWH’s flood control projects in the coming days. — Adrian H. Halili, Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, and Erika Mae P. Sinaking
