SENATE President Francis Escudero urged Malacañang to draw up a “negative list” of infrastructure projects that cannot be funded under the 2026 national budget.
The senator said these projects should be vetoed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. because they would only drain funds meant for essential programs.
“There should be zero budget for zero-benefit projects,” Escudero said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Palace “should make it clear from the start that these kinds of projects will not be entertained,” he said.
Among the projects he suggested for inclusion in the negative list are low-value but overpriced road devices, such as reflective studs or “cat’s eyes,” slope protection nets, and paints.
The same should be done with what he called “vanity projects” like waiting sheds, swimming pools, signages, and other nonessential amenities, which are prone to budgetary abuse and waste, to give way to more important infrastructure initiatives.
Escudero also looked at a possible moratorium on new flood control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways budget for 2026, noting that billions of pesos in allocations under the 2025 budget remain unimplemented.
“Let’s redirect those funds to waste-to-energy plants, refuse-derived fuel facilities, and other measures that address garbage, clogged drainage systems, and reduced water-holding capacity in rivers and waterways,” he said.
These are among the “real drivers” of flooding in Metro Manila and other urban centers, the Senate chief said., This news data comes from:http://771bg.com
Meanwhile, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said that he hopes Filipinos would not emulate the violent anti-corruption protests happening in Indonesia.
The senator issued the remark on Tuesday while interpellating Sen. Panfilo Lacson on an alleged intricate network of corruption in flood control projects involving public works officials and contractors.
“We saw what was happening in Indonesia now. The residences of parliamentarians were being burned down because they were given ,000 worth of allowance a month for housing,” Zubiri stressed.
Escudero urges list of unfundable projects for 2026 budget
“The people there [in Indonesia] are angry. Indonesia is burning through the riots. And I hope that effect doesn’t reach here in the Philippines unless we do it right,” he said.
“If we don’t do it right, I’m worried that the same thing will happen to us here,” Zubiri warned.
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