Marcos to Filipinos: Help keep eye on proposed P7.2T national budget for 2027

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is asking all Filipinos to help keep an eye on the proposed P7.2 trillion national budget for 2027 to ensure that funds won't go into the pockets of corrupt politicians, Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said on Thursday.

At a press briefing in Bukidnon, Castro said that the President gave orders to make sure that the 2027 budget would not end up in ghost and substandard infrastructure projects.

“‘Yan po ang dapat natin bantayan. Obligasyon po nating lahat,” Castro said.

(That is what we must keep an eye on. We all have the obligation to do so.)

“Ang nais ng Pangulo, ang utos ng Pangulo, hindi mapunta ang budget, ang pera ng bayan sa ghost projects, sa mga proyektong merong ginamit na substandard materials. Lahat po tayo magtutulong-tulong para bantayan po ito. ‘Yan ang utos ng Pangulo,” she added.

(The President’s directive is to ensure that the national budget—the people’s money—does not end up in ghost projects or projects that use substandard materials. Let us all work together to monitor this. That is the President’s directive.)

Castro said that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should also be called out if the public finds anything anomalous in infrastructure projects.

Malacañang earlier said that budget “insertions” only become problematic if they go into politicians' pockets, after a watchdog pointed out that Ilocos Norte 1st engineering district had the highest insertions for public works projects in the House General Appropriations Bill (GAB), amounting to P4.37 billion.

Marcos' son, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, represents the province's first legislative district.

The People's Budget Coalition (PBC) has cautioned against over a trillion worth of “red flags” under the proposed 2027 national budget. These reportedly covered various types of “pork” or discretionary funds under the House GAB.

House leaders, on the other hand, defended the amendments made by the chamber to the proposed 2027 national budget, saying these were purportedly based on agency proposals and had been made on valid grounds. –NB, GMA News