Sen. Rafael “Raffy” Tulfo on Friday, Sept. 29, suggested that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) slash the funds of “corrupt” agencies following the P4-billion cut from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) budget proposal.

In a report by RH Raymund Dadpaas, energy secretary Raphael Lotilla said the P4 billion was cut from its attached agency, the National Electrification Administration (NEA), that could have been used for the rural electrification of far-flung barangays.

With the budget cut, Lotilla said 1,500 far-flung barangays would not receive electricity.

Tuflo urged to restore the P4 billion from DOE’s budget for its electrification programs, citing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s vow for 100-percent electrification by 2028.

In the same report, the senator also took a swipe at alleged “corrupt” agencies that the DBM should cut the budget from. Tulfo used the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) as an example, which he said had billions of funds for irrigation projects that farmers were yet to receive.

NIA administrator Eduardo Guillen earlier admitted the corruption in their agency and promised to fix their system.

Earlier this year, the irrigation agency had been probed over alleged anomalous and delayed irrigation projects.