Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop on Wednesday has pointed to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as the key agency where budget anomalies originate, stressing that the entire process of preparing, approving, executing, and accounting for infrastructure projects falls under its control.
During an exclusive interview on DZRH's Dos Por Dos, Acop underscored that it is impossible for irregularities or insertions in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to pass without the DPWH’s knowledge.
"Naipakita doon ang sistema ng panloloko ay nandoon po mismo sa DPWH," Acop said.
The lawmaker explained that recommendations for projects begin at the district engineering office, but final decisions are made within the DPWH’s planning office.
"Hindi naman po kami ang unang naglalagay ng mga proyekto doon sa National Expenditure Program ng ating executive department. Sila po, kaya sabi ko ang nakapaglalagay lang ng project diyan ay ‘yong DPWH. Hindi lulusot lahat ‘yan ng hindi alam ng DPWH," Acop stressed.
He emphasized that lawmakers like himself are only involved in limited local infrastructure projects, not in major horizontal or flood control programs that form a bulk of the department’s budget.
"Kung may kalokohan po na nangyari dadaan din po sa kanila. ‘Yun insertion na sinasabi paglalagay, alam din po nila ‘yun," he said.
"So alam nila kung ano ‘yung na-insert na amount at ano yung mga nabago na proyekto pero kahapon nagtuturuan na po sila," the lawmaker added.
Acop further raised concern that the balance of power in the budgeting process has been compromised.
“Nawala yung check and balance kasi napunta doon sa planning. Nandoon lahat ang kapangyarihan” he noted.
Acop pointed out that nearly all authority rests with the DPWH Planning Office, headed by Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral before proceed to Department of Budget and Management (DBM)
On the issue of insertions, Acop distinguished between two types: contractor-driven and politician-driven.
“Kapag DPWH ang nag-insert, contractor driven iyon. Kung ang insert ay nangyari hanggang sa matapos sa bicam, pagbalik may siga [politiko] na naglagay doon,” he said.
The lawmaker also clarified that if the DPWH itself makes insertions, these are often pushed by contractors. But if changes are introduced during or after the bicameral conference, then a “siga” or powerful politician is behind it.
The congressman also revealed what he described as alarming cases of “multiple appropriations or ghost projects,” citing records since 2022 where the same project appeared as many as five times across different budget items.
"Tuwing budget hearing ng DPWH sinasabi ko yan at mayroon akong record ng multiple appropriations since 2022… may isang project na nag-aapear sa iba’t ibang lugar ng limang beses," he stated.
To address these persistent issues, Acop voiced strong support for greater transparency.
“Sa akin gusto ko ang ganoon para hindi na lahat kami nasisi [sa mga anomalya sa budget at government projects],” he stressed.
The hearing is expected in the coming days.
