Malacañang assured on Monday that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will not tolerate questionable “insertions” in the proposed 2026 national budget, emphasizing that government funds must go only to legitimate projects and not be used for completed works.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President was angered by reports that the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) included allocations for projects that had already been finished.
“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,” Castro said.
She urged lawmakers to coordinate with agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to verify whether flagged projects were indeed completed or ongoing in other areas.
Marcos himself expressed frustration over the issue, saying, “Unfortunately, the more we look, the more we find. Kahit sa 2026 budget, marami pa ring siningit. So talagang — it really needs to be cleaned out properly.”
The President highlighted the creation of an independent commission to investigate alleged anomalies in the DPWH, following controversies over multibillion-peso flood control projects.
The scandal prompted the resignation of former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan. Newly appointed DPWH chief Vince Dizon has since ordered the courtesy resignation of all top officials nationwide as part of a “clean sweep” to eliminate corruption and ghost projects.