MANILA, Philippines — Civil society groups have urged senators to remove inadequately documented projects from the proposed 2027 national budget, warning that billions of pesos in allocations could be vulnerable to political patronage.
During a Senate finance committee hearing on October 26, the People’s Budget Coalition identified more than ₱1 trillion in proposed spending that it classified as carrying potential risks. The group said approximately ₱695 billion involved infrastructure allocations, including thousands of public works projects it claimed had been inserted without supporting documents.
The coalition also flagged funding for assistance programs that frequently require referrals from lawmakers, arguing that such arrangements can give politicians undue influence over the distribution of public money. It called on the Senate to scrutinize questionable allocations and remove projects that lack sufficient documentation.
The proposed national budget totals ₱7.2 trillion. The coalition’s findings represent its own assessment of budget risks, not a determination that all flagged projects involve wrongdoing. Its recommendations come amid continued public scrutiny of alleged irregularities in flood-control spending.
