Following renowned architect Felino “Jun” Palafox’s warning about the government’s real agenda in declaring a one-year state of national calamity, several budget watchdogs have urged vigilance, as the national budget will again be targeted for an unlimited pork barrel as safeguards are lowered.

Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno urged the public to be vigilant amid the declaration of a national calamity, warning that unchecked powers could lead to a potential repeat of the Pharmally controversy.

“We should be worried about these one-year-long states of calamity — they become a bonanza for corruption,” Palafox had warned.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., under Proclamation 1077, declared a one-year state of national calamity in response to the destruction caused by typhoon “Tino.”

“The government must ensure full transparency in all transactions to guarantee that every peso is used properly, efficiently, and solely for the benefit of those affected,” Diokno said.

Diokno expressed concern about the proclamation’s provision allowing for negotiated emergency procurements for one year. According to the lawmaker, this could “open the floodgates to corruption if not paired with strict transparency and accountability safeguards.”

Former budget secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad chose to give the President the benefit of the doubt with the edict, saying that services must move faster during the period, but “they must still be strictly connected to disaster response — only projects directly related to the calamity can be covered.”

P500-B lump sums freed up

According to Abad, immediately available under a state of calamity are around P41 billion from the national and presidential contingency funds, plus the quick-response funds of individual government agencies.

For 2025, there’s P350 billion for flood control, P225 billion for formal projects, and P115 billion for shadow or drainage works.

“Add around P130 billion in social aid programs, and you get over P500 billion potentially available for response and recovery,” Abad estimated.

The former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) chief also expects the investigations on government projects to have a chilling effect on the bureaucracy.

“Many government workers are cautious — afraid to act for fear of being implicated in scandals. So the implementation of projects could be slow,” he indicated.

And since the new fiscal year is just weeks away, projects might carry over into 2026. Some, especially flood control projects, may even extend beyond that because of pending investigations into corruption, he added.

Reporting as a deterrent to graft

Diokno, for his part, outlined recommendations to prevent the abuse of emergency powers and ensure proper oversight, including clearly defining the geographic scope and conditions for maintaining or lifting the state of calamity.

According to Diokno, the government should require regular public reporting and independent audits of the emergency funds used, and involve affected local governments in decision-making and monitoring.

To ensure transparency, Diokno recommended that all negotiated contracts be published online and that they not be awarded to undercapitalized companies to prevent the exploitation of emergency procurement rules.

Diokno emphasized that the emergency powers are not a “blank check” to be abused, and that such authority must always come with transparency, accountability, and clear limits to ensure they truly serve the public.

“The government must also set sunset clauses or automatic reviews to prevent indefinite extensions, maintain procurement standards even in emergencies with added safeguards against corruption, and establish clear channels for citizens to report the misuse or abuse of funds,” Diokno stressed.