Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said the Senate will block the inclusion of around ₱42 billion in “ayuda” or social assistance programs under the unprogrammed funds of the proposed 2026 national budget approved by the House of Representatives.
“The House left some ₱42 billion in the unprogrammed appropriations for ayuda, and we will remove it,” Lacson said in a radio interview on Tuesday, adding that only foreign-assisted projects should remain in that category.
He said the Senate’s majority bloc, including Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, had reached a consensus to transfer the funds to the regular budget to ensure proper use and accountability. “We expect a long discussion in the bicameral conference committee,” he noted.
The House passed the ₱6.793-trillion 2026 national budget on October 13, keeping ₱249 billion under unprogrammed appropriations—standby funds that can only be used once additional revenue or loans become available. Watchdog groups have long criticized the UA, claiming it has been a source of misuse and political patronage.
Lacson also disclosed that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had diverted at least ₱50 billion from unprogrammed appropriations in the 2024 budget, including ₱30 billion for flood control projects. “This means DPWH officials have become comfortable with funding such projects even if this means violating the government’s master plan,” he said.
The senator accused certain DPWH officials and lawmakers of collusion, saying public funds were “abused” to favor selected districts. He warned that altering budget allocations without proper authorization amounts to technical malversation. “When we pass the budget bill, everything is itemized. If you make changes there, that is already technical malversation,” he stressed.
Lacson also questioned how former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan allegedly received handwritten memos from civilians recommending project endorsements. “How did these memos, which were scribbled on Post-It notes, get to Bonoan?” he asked, adding that such exchanges bypassed official department procedures.
He further said that the Senate blue ribbon committee’s ongoing inquiry into flood control projects may widen to include other infrastructure programs such as farm-to-market roads, citing years of unchecked corruption within the DPWH. “Over time, the DPWH allowed such abuses because they went undetected or unpunished. In the course of time, this became a lucrative practice,” he said.
