Pres. Bongbong Marcos Admits Questionable Allocations on 2026 Proposed National Budget
BONGBONG MARCOS – The President admitted that there are questionable allocations even on the 2026 proposed national budget.
The House of Representatives is now looking into the P6.79-trillion proposed budget for 2026. It was over a week ago when the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted the National Expenditure Program or NEP to the House of Representatives.
Following the DBM submitting the NEP to the House, Marcos Jr. called on the Congress to ‘swiftly enact’ the proposed budget for 2026. The President called on the Congress to work together with the executive department saying that the Philippines can be a leader among the nations. According to him, the country is on the track with regards to its agenda for prosperity.
Previously, during his 4th State of the Nation Address or SONA, Pres. Bongbong Marcos claimed that he will not approve budget proposals that are not in line with the plans of the government. However, it earned a reminder from Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero that the “power of the purse” still belongs to the Congress.
Ahead of the budget talks, Malacañang told the Congress not to to abuse the “power of the purse”. For 2026, the proposed budget for the Office of the President is P27.362 billion — several folds bigger compared to the approved budget for Marcos’ office this year which is at P15.9 billion.
The office of Pres. Marcos is poised to get the lion’s share from the proposed confidential and intelligence funds for 2026. From the P10.77 billion proposed CIF for next year, the OP is proposed to be given P4.5 billion. Marcos Jr.’s office also requested over P1 billion for his local and foreign trips in 2026.
However, amid the budget deliberations, Pres. Bongbong Marcos admitted that the 2026 proposed national budget still needs to be cleaned out. The remarks of the President came amid the claim of Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno that several items in the NEP allegedly contained allocations for projects that are already completed.
”The more we look, the more we find. Kahit sa 2026 budget, marami pa ring siningit. So… it really needs to be cleaned out properly,” the President said.
Marcos Jr.’s remarks expressed it while he was explaining the duties of the independent commission that he wants to create for the probe of the anomalous flood control projects of the government. However, based on a report on Inquirer, the structure of the said team has yet to be finalized. Recently, the Senate also held a flood probe and invited the contractors flagged by the President for being awarded with 20% of the total P545-billion worth of government flood control deals.
During the Senate hearing, controversial contractor Sarah Discaya admitted to owning 9 construction companies that participate in biddings for the same projects of the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways).