MANILA, Philippines – July 28, 2025 — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a strong warning to lawmakers during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), declaring that he will not hesitate to reject the proposed 2026 national budget if it strays from the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
“I am willing to do this even if we end up with a reenacted budget,” Marcos said firmly, signaling a potential standoff with Congress should budget allocations veer away from the administration’s priorities.
The President’s tough stance comes amid growing public outrage over questionable flood control projects. Marcos recounted his recent inspection of flood-hit areas and said he discovered that many of the so-called completed projects were either substandard, imaginary, or had completely collapsed.
“Many of these flood control projects failed, crumbled, or were mere fabrications,” he said. “Let’s stop pretending. Everyone knows corruption is rampant in these initiatives—kickbacks, ghost projects, and shady deals.”
In 2024, Marcos touted the completion of over 5,500 flood control projects. However, Typhoon Carina later exposed the weakness of the infrastructure as widespread flooding displaced thousands and damaged communities. This has triggered congressional calls for an investigation into how the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) spent its ₱255-billion flood control budget for that year.
The President ordered the DPWH to submit a detailed regional breakdown of all flood control projects from the past three years. The list will undergo review by the Regional Project Monitoring Committee to identify failed, unfinished, or nonexistent projects. Marcos said the results will be published for public transparency.
“Those found responsible, including colluding contractors, will face charges by next month,” he warned. “Someone must be held accountable for the damage and corruption.”
The President’s warning underscores a broader push for accountability in infrastructure spending and signals a zero-tolerance policy for misuse of public funds.
As the national budget deliberations begin, Marcos’ message sets the tone for a contentious debate—one where transparency and adherence to the NEP will be non-negotiable.
