The House Infra Committee on Tuesday, September 9, questioned Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina E. Cabral over alleged multibillion-peso allocations to Davao City from 2016 to 2025.

Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua confronted Cabral with a Politiko report published on January 24, 2024, which claimed that Davao City projects received ₱87.1 billion in budget “insertions” over the period.

“Ma’am, meron kasing lumabas na report… na sinasabi po rito noong 2016 up to 2025 meron daw pong ₱87.1 billion na insertion ang Davao City. Pwede po bang pako-kumpirma ito?” Chua asked.

Cabral replied that she could not confirm the numbers during the hearing.

“For accuracy, Mr. Chair, of my response I have to check the records in the office because I do not have the data. I cannot confirm those numbers,” she said.

Chua pressed further, citing that ₱48.4 billion—equivalent to 60% of ₱81.1 billion worth of infrastructure projects—was allocated to Davao between 2019 and 2021.

Cabral again maintained that she would need to consult the DPWH planning service before making a confirmation.

The lawmaker also pointed in reference to the same Politiko article, quoting Cabral as having confirmed a ₱51-billion allocation to the district of Congressman Paolo Duterte during the final three years of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

Cabral, however, said she could no longer recall the interview.

“I no longer recall, so I have to confirm with the records in the office,” Cabral told the panel.

Chua went on to highlight that ₱29 billion of the ₱51 billion cited in the report was allegedly inserted into the 2021 national budget, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Eh kaya ko po ito natanong Usec., di po ba noong mga panahong ito pandemic. 2020 po yata ‘yong pandemic and yet meron pa tayong flood control na ganito kalaki. ‘Di po ba noong mga taon na ‘yon parang umutang pa tayo, ‘yong bansa natin. Kung hindi po ako nagkakamali. Para sa mga medical kit, kasi pandemic po noon eh,” Chua said.

Cabral maintained: “I have no knowledge.”

Chua concluded by criticizing the allocation, saying funds of such magnitude could have been used to ease pandemic borrowing.

“Kasi kung ganito kalaki ito bakit pa tayo nangutang, edi sana ito na lang po ay ginamit na lang natin [sa pandemic] para po sana hindi na tayo nangutang,” he said.