Lacson tags DPWH’s Cabral in early fund insertions

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday named a high-ranking Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official as allegedly involved in premature insertions in the proposed 2026 national budget.

In a radio interview, Lacson said a caller identifying herself as “Undersecretary Cabral” contacted a staff member of Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III shortly after the May 2025 senatorial elections. The caller reportedly invited them to submit proposed insertions for the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026.

“One ‘Undersecretary Cabral’ called Sotto’s staff and told them to insert what they wanted to insert. If Sen. Sotto was one of those called by that executive, who else could have been contacted similarly and submitted their proposed insertions?” Lacson said.

He noted that Sotto declined to participate, citing their shared advocacy for transparency and good governance. But Lacson questioned how many other lawmakers from both chambers might have accepted similar invitations.

The DPWH website lists Maria Catalina E. Cabral as undersecretary for Planning, Public-Private Partnership, and Information Management Services—a post central to budget planning and infrastructure projects.

Lacson said he has requested DPWH records as he questioned the integrity of the budget process. He cited hundreds of suspicious entries in the 2026 NEP, including 660 identical P100-million projects lacking detailed descriptions or stationing.

“The safeguards are rendered useless if there is collusion,” he warned. “As seen in the Development Budget Coordination Committee briefing, there was collusion between legislators and the DPWH in drafting the NEP.”

Lacson added that the budget call—the period when agencies prepare their proposals for the NEP—ran from January to June 2025, ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address on July 28.

He suggested that the alleged early insertions could have taken place even before Marcos’ call for transparency and accountability.

On 1 Sept., Cabral represented the DPWH at a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing after former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan declined to respond to questions, citing his resignation.

That same day, newly appointed DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon ordered all officials—from undersecretaries down to district engineers—to submit their courtesy resignations.

Meanwhile, an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order has been issued against Cabral and 34 other DPWH officials and contractors allegedly linked to questionable flood control projects.