Malacañang on Thursday urged all government agencies to reexamine their 2026 spending plans amid mounting concerns over budget insertions and duplications.
At a Palace press briefing, Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro said the move is in line with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s directive for a sweeping review of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) proposed 2026 budget after reports of double entries and suspicious project insertions.
“Siguro sa ganitong klase na nakikita, mas maganda na rin na iyong ibang mga ahensiya tingnan din nila kung ano iyong nai-report nila at baka nga mayroong naisingit sa proposal nila na hindi na dapat maisingit,” Castro said.
She explained that Marcos would also expand the order to other agencies should further inconsistencies surface.
“Maganda na rin po nakita rito para sa umpisa pa lamang ay maisaayos na ang budget. At nirirespeto rin po natin ang liderato ng House of Representatives at kung anuman ang mangyayari dito, dapat lamang ay kung ano iyong naaayon sa Konstitusyon,” she stressed.
“So, kung may iba pang mga ahensiya na involved ay ganoon din po ang magiging utos ng Pangulo, kung mayroon po talaga. Kasi ngayon po ay kailangan lang tingnan. Hindi pa po natin masasabi na talagang mayroong mga anomalyang naisingit.”
The House of Representatives leadership, led by Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno, earlier pushed to return the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) over questions of duplicate funding and alleged insertions not only in the DPWH but also in agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine National Police.
DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon committed to complete the review within two weeks, assuring lawmakers that any corrections would be formally transmitted to Congress through errata.