Marilyn Cahatol

Residents go about their daily activities in Barangay Meyto, Calumpit, Bulacan on September 10, 2025. 
SumbongSaPangulo.ph listed seven flood control projects in Barangays Meyto and San Jose, Calumpit, Bulacan—worth hundreds of millions of pesos and supposedly completed between 2023 and 2024 under the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, which is under scrutiny for alleged ghost projects in the province.

Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

FLOOD CONTROL PROBE - CALUMPIT

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175983174766320250910-flood-control-barangay-meyto-JC0427.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Residents go about their daily activities in Barangay Meyto, Calumpit, Bulacan on September 10, 2025. SumbongSaPangulo.ph listed seven flood control projects in Barangays Meyto and San Jose worth hundreds of millions of pesos and supposedly completed between 2023 and 2024 under the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, which is under scrutiny for alleged ghost projects in the province. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Batangas First District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste on Tuesday called on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to lower the cost of its projects in the proposed 2026 budget by 25 percent to “prevent kickbacks”.</p><p>“Ibaba natin ng 25 percentnt ang presyo ng mga proyekto sa 2026 DPWH budget… Maging P150 billion in savings… overpriced ang mga DPWH projects. At kaya itinataas ng DPWH ang presyo ng mga proyektong ito, dahil ang mga contractor ay nagbibigay pa ng mga tinatawag na SOP o kickback,” Leviste said.</p><p>“Noong kakaupo ko pa lang, may mga contractor na lumapit sa akin at nag-aalok na kung mayroon akong asphalt overlay o road projects sa aking distrito, pwede nila akong bigyan ng hanggang 25 percent na kickback sa mga asphalt overlay at road projects na ito,” he added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/disacayas-says-corrupt-officials-used-them-in-anomalous-bidding-1114">Discaya couple says lawmakers, DPWH execs &#x27;used&#x27; them in flood control anomalies</a></div><div><strong>UNPROGRAMMED APPROPRIATIONS</strong></div><p>Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno, meanwhile, urged his colleagues at the lower chamber to remove unprogrammed appropriations in the proposed 2026 national budget.</p><p>“I therefore propose that we reduce to zero the unprogrammed appropriations line in the budget. Kami po sa Akbayan Party-list ay hindi papayag na gawing gatasan ang kaban ng bayan. Ang pagnakaw ng bilyones na public funds sa mga flood control projects ay hindi na dapat maulit. Not on our watch,” he said in a privilege speech during the House plenary session on Tuesday.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/6/sotto-no-shortcuts-for-2026-budget-1609">Sotto: No shortcuts for 2026 budget</a></div><p>“Sumisigaw ang taumbayan sa galit dahil sa trilyones na nawawala at ninanakaw. We must enforce fiscal discipline, stop parking big-ticket programs in unprogrammed appropriations, and reclaim the power of the purse,” he added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/19/what-are-unprogrammed-funds-gatchalian-says-they-are-pork-barrel-1225">What are &#x27;unprogrammed&#x27; funds? Gatchalian says they are &#x27;pork barrel&#x27;</a></div><p>The proposed unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) was  at around P250 billion, Diokno said. </p><p>“When we examine the details of the 2026 NEP, we see allocations that are not contingencies at all, but big-ticket, pre-planned programs. Ilan dito ang P80.86 billion for &#x27;Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs&#x27;; P97.3 billion for Foreign-Assisted Projects; P50 billion for the Revised AFP Modernization Program; P6.7 billion for health emergency allowances, among others,” he said.</p><p>“These are clearly programmed obligations that should have been placed under the regular budget, not hidden in the unprogrammed appropriations. By parking them in the unprogrammed appropriations, we are effectively giving the executive a blank check worth a quarter of a trillion pesos. Worse, these funds have become a fund for pork-barrel politics,” Diokno warned.</p><p>“The power to appropriate funds rests exclusively with Congress. By treating unprogrammed appropriations as a broad discretionary fund, and allowing the executive, through the DBM (Department of Budget and Management), wide leeway to release funds through a Special Allotment Release Order outside of the programmed budget and without legislative scrutiny, we are surrendering the power of the purse to the executive department. The result? Billions of pesos hidden from the Filipino people. Billions of pesos released without clear reporting,” he noted.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/7/house-on-track-to-pass-proposed-2026-national-budget-1504">House &#x27;on track&#x27; with schedule to pass proposed 2026 national budget</a></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l_2zmwwc288?si=BEzIaYaEw4lUjAlS" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Batangas First District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste on Tuesday called on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to lower the cost of its projects in the proposed 2026 budget by 25 percent to “prevent kickbacks”.</p>

Batangas First District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste on Tuesday called on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to lower the cost of its projects in the proposed 2026 budget by 25 percent to “prevent kickbacks”.

Lawmaker urges DPWH to reduce project costs by 25 percent to prevent kickbacks

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Lawmaker urges DPWH to reduce project costs by 25 percent to prevent kickbacks

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 07, 2025 06:22 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

2026 DPWH budget

kickbacks

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