Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
MANILA – Malacañang on Thursday assured the public that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. would not allow the misuse of public funds under the proposed 2027 national budget, stressing that every peso must benefit Filipinos.
Speaking to reporters, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said lawmakers would have the opportunity to scrutinize proposed budget changes during the bicameral conference committee proceedings.
Castro said Marcos and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) were committed to ensuring that public funds would not be diverted to improper or unauthorized uses.
“At ang pangako naman ng Pangulo at ng DBM, katulad ng aking ini-report dati at naulat na sa inyo, hindi papayagan na ang pondo na maibibigay na magkakaroon sa 2027 ay magamit sa kung saan-saan. Dapat ang pondo, bawat piso ay para sa Pilipino (And the President and the DBM have pledged, as I previously reported, that the funds allocated for 2027 will not be used for improper purposes. Every peso must be spent for the benefit of the Filipino people),” she said.
Castro made the statement after Vice President Sara Duterte alleged that the proposed 2027 budget could become a “bargaining chip to pressure senators who will sit as judges and reward to those who vote ‘yes’ in the House of Representatives.”
Castro said Duterte should substantiate her allegation and could attend the bicameral conference committee proceedings to better understand how budget allocations are deliberated and finalized.
She also addressed concerns raised by Senate Finance Committee chairperson JV Ejercito over nearly PHP206 billion in realignments in the House version of the proposed 2027 budget.
The reported changes include cuts to transportation, health and calamity-related programs, alongside increased allocations for certain programs under the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Department of Public Works and Highways.
Castro said senators who questioned the changes could raise their concerns during the bicameral proceedings and scrutinize potentially questionable allocations.
Asked whether Marcos would consider a reenacted budget if serious irregularities were found in the spending plan, Castro declined to speculate, noting that Congress holds the power of the purse and that the budget must undergo the legislative process before reaching the President.
“We cannot speculate. I cannot — I do not want to answer any hypothetical question, but maybe we can say that the President and DBM have been so protective of our funds,” she said.
Castro said the DBM has adopted a “for later release” mechanism to safeguard public funds by withholding certain allocations until proponents could justify their projects.
She added that projects with sufficient justification should be able to meet the department’s requirements, emphasizing that public money must not end up in the hands of corrupt individuals.
“Kung hindi mo iyan mapro-prove (If you cannot prove it), the funds would not be released,” Castro said.
“Basta patunayan lamang po na tama ang proyekto at ang pondo ay hindi maibubulsa ninuman (Just prove that the project is justified and that the funds will not be pocketed by anyone),” she added. (PNA)
