Malacañang on Sunday stressed that Cabinet officials are not immune from investigations into alleged budget irregularities, emphasizing that accountability applies to all public officials, regardless of rank.

Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro made the remarks following allegations that several Cabinet members were linked to billions of pesos in supposed budget insertions for 2025—claims earlier raised by Senator Panfilo Lacson based on the so-called “Cabral files.”

“Anyone among the Cabinet members who may be involved and for whom there is evidence should continue to be investigated to identify the real culprit,” Castro said in a statement to reporters, adding that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will not shield anyone found guilty.

“The President has said that whoever it may be must be held accountable if they are truly involved,” she stressed.

Castro noted that the matter is now under the jurisdiction of proper investigative bodies, including the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

She also urged anyone with evidence to submit it formally to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, the Ombudsman, or the DOJ.

Senator Lacson previously claimed that at least five Cabinet officials had “allocables” worth billions of pesos in the proposed 2025 national budget.