Internal records linked to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have surfaced showing that several national and local figures were identified as proponents of road and infrastructure projects during preparations for the 2020 national budget, according to documents obtained by Bilyonaryo News Channel.
The files, referred to as the “DPWH leaks,” list Vice President Sara Duterte in connection with multiple proposed projects during the period when she was still serving as mayor of Davao City. The records indicate that she was associated with 16 road-related line items that later appeared in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2020, with the combined value reaching at least ₱1 billion.
The same set of documents also names Davao City First District Representative Paolo Duterte and former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque as proponents of separate DPWH projects. Each individual was linked to different locations and funding outcomes once the budget process concluded.
Bilyonaryo’s Agenda program reported that the materials do not suggest budget insertions. Instead, they show DPWH proposals at an early stage—before congressional deliberations—when agencies submit planned projects for possible inclusion in the national spending program.
Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo said that even at this preliminary phase, requests tied to elected officials could already raise concerns. He explained that the National Expenditure Program is meant to be crafted by DPWH officials themselves, warning that this step in the process is often where questionable practices may emerge.
Based on the documents reviewed, all 16 projects associated with Sara Duterte were eventually approved by Congress and funded. Two of the listed items carried the attribution “Mayor Sara Z. Duterte / RD Allan Borromeo, Region XI.” Fifteen of the projects were located in Davao City, while one was recorded in Davao del Sur.
Separate records showed Paolo Duterte as the proponent of 16 infrastructure projects amounting to more than ₱764 million, with 14 ultimately funded under the 2020 GAA. All of the projects linked to his name were situated within Davao City.
The files also identified four DPWH projects under the name of Harry Roque, covering locations in Ifugao, Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna. Two of these proposals received funding, each allocated ₱2 million under the national budget.
