Navotas Representative Tobias “Toby” Tiangco revealed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was aware of the alleged “budget insertions” in last year’s national spending plan.

In an interview on Super Radyo DZBB, Tiangco said Marcos had ordered the withholding of about P80 billion linked to these questionable items.

Tiangco, however, acknowledged that the President could have taken further action to prevent the release of funds later tied to the controversy involving his administration.

“Alam niya ’yung mga insertions (He knew of the insertions). And as of July, the release of P80 billion in funding under the national budget is on hold because these are questionable projects,” Tiangco said.

According to Tiangco, Marcos personally addressed the allegations with his cousin, then-Speaker Martin Romualdez, after the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) passed on information suggesting that Romualdez and former appropriations chair Zaldy Co were mishandling funds.

The confrontation reportedly took place during a family gathering in Malacañang on 24 November 2024.

Tiangco said he could not explain why it took months before Marcos acted on the questionable budget items, adding that he is unable to defend the delay.

“Why the President did not act immediately, I don’t know. I cannot defend him because I don’t know, and that is also my frustration,” he said.