Malacañang announced that every program included in the proposed 2027 national budget must be supported by complete documentation, emphasizing that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will meticulously scrutinize every item without exception—including allocations tied to his son, House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro addressed recent reports regarding alleged budget insertions linked to the younger lawmaker, pointing out that these claims remain speculative because the national expenditure plan is still undergoing the legislative process.
Nonetheless, she stressed that no initiative missing proper details will receive clearance.
“Ang pondo ng bayan ay dapat pakinabangan ng sambayanan, iyan ang utos ng Pangulo. Kung may kailangan na mabigay na mga detalye, hindi—uulitin ko po, itong aking pagsagot ay hindi lamang para sa isyu ni Congressman Sandro Marcos; ito po ay sa lahat ng mga mambabatas na siyang mayroong power of the purse,” Castro said.
“Hindi po pipikitan ng Pangulo ang mga proyektong alam nilang walang detalye. So, doon po sa mga nagbabantay sa budget, kailangan namin ang tulong ninyo. Hindi po kayo makakasira sa gobyerno. Kapag may nakita po kayo na dapat tapikin, na dapat pagtuunan ng pansin, sabihin lang po ninyo at nakikinig ang Pangulo,” she added.
Furthermore, Castro refuted media headlines implying that her remarks were intended to defend the congressional representative.
The Palace’s statement follows a recent report by the People’s Budget Coalition, which flagged over ₱1 trillion in contentious allocations within the 2027 spending bill. The coalition alleged that the largest share of questionable infrastructure insertions, totaling ₱4.37 billion, was directed to the district represented by the President’s son.