Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos on Thursday stressed that the allocation of infrastructure funds to congressional districts is determined by the executive branch, not by legislators.
Marcos issued the clarification following reports that his district and Leyte’s 1st District—represented by his uncle, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez—received substantial funding for projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“Number one, that was an initiative of the executive, meaning wala po kinalaman ang congressman. Wala po kinalaman ang legislative sa pag-allocate na kahit ano man na amount doon,” Marcos said.
He explained that project priorities are set by the executive once the National Expenditure Program (NEP) is submitted to Congress, noting that lawmakers can only endorse requests from local officials and constituents.
“But it is the prerogative of the executive as to where those funds go when the NEP arrives into Congress,” he added.
Marcos emphasized that questions on why certain districts receive larger allocations should be directed to the DPWH.
He also underscored that legislators no longer control discretionary or pork barrel funds, which the Supreme Court had declared unconstitutional.
“When you look at the budget po, line item po yan per amount basis. So it is projects that are accounted for,” he said.