The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) diverted at least P50 billion from unprogrammed appropriations in the 2024 national budget to fund various infrastructure projects, including P30 billion for flood control, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson revealed on Tuesday.

In a radio interview, Lacson noted that the diversion of funds demonstrated how some DPWH officials had become “comfortable” with disregarding the government’s infrastructure master plan.

“In 2024 alone, the DPWH diverted P50 billion from unprogrammed appropriations for infrastructure projects, including P30 billion for flood control projects,” Lacson said in Filipino.

“This means DPWH officials have become comfortable with funding such projects even if this means violating the government's master plan,” he added.

The senator alleged that the diverted appropriations were spread across multiple congressional districts, prompting a collusion between certain lawmakers and DPWH officials.

“The public fund was abused because of the collusion between some lawmakers and DPWH officials, to the point that lawmakers gave the DPWH bigger funds than the education sector,” he said.

“And in 2025, they continued this practice until it exploded in our faces,” he added.

Push for reforms

Lacson expressed support for the reforms being pursued by new DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, who has reportedly instructed his department to align projects strictly with the government’s infrastructure master plan.

He also lauded Senate Finance Committee chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian for enforcing the same principle in the Senate’s scrutiny of the 2026 budget.

The senator emphasized that altering appropriations approved by Congress constitutes technical malversation, even if no money is directly stolen.

“When we pass the budget bill, everything is itemized. If you make changes there, that is already technical malversation, even if you have not stolen anything yet,” Lacson explained.

“Appropriations for a particular item must be properly spent. If not, the funds should go to savings.”

Removing P42B Ayuda

Meanwhile, the Senate is to remove P42B 'ayuda' from the unprogrammed fund.

Lacson also said the Senate will take a firm stance against the inclusion of P42 billion in social assistance or ‘ayuda’ funds under the unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 budget.

He stressed that such allocations should be part of the regular budget, not contingent funds.

“The House left some P42 billion in the unprogrammed appropriations for ayuda, and we will remove it,” Lacson said in a separate television interview.

“We expect a long discussion in the bicameral conference committee, but we senators agreed that ayuda funds cannot be in the unprogrammed appropriations. They should be in the regular budget,” he lamented.

Lacson also said he shares this position with Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Gatchalian, and most members of the Senate majority bloc.

Despite his recovery from surgery, Lacson said he continues to monitor the ongoing budget deliberations online. He commended Gatchalian for his “thorough” handling of the hearings.

“He did his homework. His scrutiny exposed anomalies, questionable items, and red flags. I take my hat off to him,” Lacson said, referring to Gatchalian.