President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the sweeping review of the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), Malacañang said on Wednesday.

Marcos has directed Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon to lead and expedite the review to avoid delays in budget deliberations, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the newly-appointed secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways to conduct a sweeping review of the DPWH budget under the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program,” Castro said in a Palace press briefing.

“The President emphasized that the review must lead to the necessary changes to guarantee transparency, accountability, and the proper use of the people’s money, ensuring that resources are directed towards infrastructure projects that genuinely serve and benefit the Filipino people.”

Castro said the directive was issued following the possible duplication and insertion of projects included in the DPWH’s spending plan for 2026.

She said corrections will be made through “errata,” in case there is a duplication and insertion of projects.

“Sabi po kasi ng DBM, hindi na mababalik ang NEP sa kanila. Magkakaroon lang siguro ng erratum. Iku-correct, ia-amend, tatanggalin para po mabigyan sila – ang Senado, ang Kongreso – ng listahan kung ano ang hindi na dapat ilagay (The DBM said the NEP cannot be returned to them. Probably, there will only be an erratum. It will be corrected, amended, or deleted. And the Senate and Congress will be given a list of what should no longer be included),” Castro said.

Castro also responded to Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim that the issues concerning the flood mitigation projects could be addressed within the day.

She said it is “absolutely preposterous” to claim that the problem could be fixed overnight.

Castro added that the Vice President should have given that advice to her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, since some of the “ghost” projects uncovered in the investigation were implemented during the previous administration.

“Nirerespeto ng Pangulo ang (The President respects) due process. Nirerespeto ni Pangulo ang (The President respects) human rights. So, kaya po dumadaan ang lahat sa proseso (that’s why everything goes through the process),” she said. (PNA)