ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio on Tuesday criticized Malacañang’s rollout of the “Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” initiative, calling it a blatant patronage scheme aimed at buying the loyalty of local officials while diverting attention away from the President’s role in the multibillion-peso flood control corruption scandal.

“The gathering of prominent local chief executives — even from the traditional opposition — is a clear attempt by the Marcos administration to consolidate its political machinery ahead of the 2028 elections using billions in LGU pork funded by the suffering government workers,” Tinio, who is the House Deputy Minority Leader, said.

“Let’s not be fooled by the show of unity and pink-colored socks,” he said. “This program isn’t about public service — it’s about bribery and power consolidation. This is bureaucratic capitalism at its finest, using the people’s money to build a political fortress for 2028 while the architect of the flood control plunder remains in charge.”

Tinio recalled that during the 2026 budget deliberations, the Makabayan bloc exposed the diversion of P17.9 billion from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) — money meant for teachers and health workers — to the highly discretionary LGU slush funds.

Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, the Special Purpose Fund known as the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) allocated P37.5 billion for financial assistance to LGUs and P11.3 billion to the Growth Equity Fund, totaling P48.8 billion in discretionary “LGU pork.”

Unlike the constitutionally mandated National Tax Allotment, Tinio pointed out, the LGSF is entirely discretionary and controlled by the President through the Department of Budget and Management. According to DBM Local Budget Circulars Nos. 167 and 169, all LGSF releases require presidential approval, with funding decisions based on a “scorecard” that can reward allies and punish critics.

“This is a pure pork barrel — P48 billion that can go to anything from infrastructure projects to direct aid for medical, funeral, transportation, food, and educational assistance,” Tinio said.

“The DBM circulars make it clear: LGUs must apply through the ‘Ugnayang Bayan Portal,’ and the President, through the DBM, decides who gets funded and who doesn’t,” he added.

He warned that eligible projects — local roads, bridges, multi-purpose buildings, and hospital facilities —mirror the infrastructure programs at the center of the DPWH corruption, creating new opportunities for kickbacks and overpricing.

“Teachers and government workers are being squeezed, denied the benefits and salaries they are owed, so Marcos Jr. can spend on consolidating his alliances with politicians from the cities, provinces, and barangays. It’s ironic that while the administration claims to empower LGUs, it does so by robbing frontliners of their rightful benefits,” Tinio said.

The veteran activist also noted that the push for a “reform agenda,” including anti-dynasty and FoI (Freedom of Information) bills — alongside courting former Vice President Leni Robredo and her “pink” supporters — is a calculated maneuver to isolate the Duterte faction while shielding Marcos from accountability in the flood control scandal.