Palace: No room for anomalous projects in 2026 budget

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro (File photo)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will not tolerate questionable "insertions" in the proposed 2026 national budget, Malacañang said Monday, stressing that funds must go only to legitimate projects and not to repeat allocations for already completed works.

This, as lawmakers bared, the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) included budget allocations for projects already completed.

"Hindi po ito papayagan ng Pangulo. Nadinig po natin, galit na po ang Pangulo at ayaw po niya na may isinisingit pa sa budget dahil ang budget na 'to ay para sa taumbayan at para sa proyekto para sa bayan (The President will not allow it. We've heard him, he is angry and does not want any more insertions because this budget is for the people and the nation's projects)," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a media briefing.

Castro said lawmakers should first coordinate with agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to verify whether a project flagged in the budget is truly finished or still ongoing in another location.

Marcos earlier lamented that there are still "insertions" in the proposed 2026 budget.

"Unfortunately, the more we look, the more we find. Kahit sa 2026 budget, marami pa ring siningit. So talagang (Even in the 2026 budget, there are still a lot of insertions. So really) — it really needs to be cleaned out properly," he said.

The President made the statement, underscoring the creation of an independent commission to investigate the alleged anomalies in the DPWH.

The agency has been reeling from allegations of anomalous multibillion-peso flood control projects, which prompted the resignation of former secretary Manuel Bonoan and the appointment of Vince Dizon as his replacement.

Dizon's first act as DPWH chief was to order the courtesy resignation of all top officials nationwide as part of a "clean sweep" ordered by Marcos to purge corruption and ghost projects in the agency. (PNA)

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