Senate President Chiz Escudero is once again at the center of public controversy, following reports of alleged “questionable” insertions in the proposed ₱6.3-trillion national budget.
According to several reports, Escudero allegedly inserted ₱142.7 billion worth of projects into the proposed budget, with the largest portion—₱52.7 billion—allocated for supposed road improvement initiatives.
Other allocations reportedly include ₱38.7 billion for building construction, ₱35.1 billion for flood control projects, and ₱11.1 billion for street lighting initiatives.
Additionally, ₱3.8 billion was allotted for bridge rehabilitation, and ₱1.1 billion was earmarked for various other smaller projects.
The province that allegedly received the largest share of the insertions is Bulacan, stronghold of Senator Joel Villanueva—an ally of Escudero and a reported frontrunner to become the next Senate Majority Floor Leader.
Bulacan was reportedly allotted ₱12 billion in total, including ₱900 million for barangay-level road projects.
As of now, both Escudero and Villanueva have yet to issue any public statements addressing the allegations.