A proposal to save some P400 billion by canceling or re-pricing P1.6 trillion in ongoing and upcoming projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will not only fund priority health and education programs but also ease our debt burden.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed this on Friday as he supported the suggestion by neophyte Rep. Leandro Leviste to take such actions.
“Neophyte Cong. Leviste should be listened to and taken seriously. He surely knows how to compute. P400B in savings to bridge our budget deficit will help ease our debt burden,” Lacson said in a post on X.
In Filipino: Lacson: Pagtipid ng P400B sa Pagkansela at Pag-Reprice ng mga Proyekto ng DPWH, Makakabawas Din sa Utang ng Bayan
In a social media post Thursday, Leviste noted that DPWH contracts allow cancellation under “termination for convenience” if a project is no longer practical, or “termination for unlawful acts” if fraud is proven.
Leviste thus urged DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to legally cancel some P1 trillion in ongoing projects for 2025, and P600 billion in planned projects for 2026 – and save government some P400 billion in the process.
Earlier, Lacson had exposed in two privilege speeches the corruption behind substandard and ghost flood control projects – along with the systemic and brazen corruption in the DPWH.
Also, Lacson – an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget – said he will closely scrutinize the DPWH’s proposed 2026 budget even as he called on fellow lawmakers to exercise self-restraint in making proposed realignments especially for locally funded infrastructure projects.
“We should be horrified by (the outrage over corruption that) happened. Let’s not allow the problem to linger. Let us also help find ways to bring down our debt because our debt has grown so big),” he said.
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Lacson: Pagtipid ng P400B sa Pagkansela at Pag-Reprice ng mga Proyekto ng DPWH, Makakabawas Din sa Utang ng Bayan
Kung makapagtipid ang pamahalaan ng P400 bilyon dahil sa pagkansela o pag-reprice ng P1.6 trilyong halaga ng mga proyekto ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), hindi lamang ito magkakaroon ng pondo para sa programang pangkalusugan at pang-edukasyon, kundi makakabawas din nito ang utang ng bansa.
Idiniin ito ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Biyernes, sabay pahayag ng suporta sa mungkahi ni bagitong Rep. Leandro Leviste na isagawa ang mga hakbang na ito.
“Neophyte Cong. Leviste should be listened to and taken seriously. He surely knows how to compute. P400B in savings to bridge our budget deficit will help ease our debt burden,” ani Lacson sa post sa X.
Sa isang post sa social media nitong Huwebes, binanggit ni Leviste na pinapayagan ng mga kontrata ng DPWH ang pagkansela sa ilalim ng “termination for convenience” kung ang proyekto ay hindi na praktikal, o “termination for unlawful acts” kung mapatunayang may katiwalian.
Dahil dito, hinimok ni Leviste si DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon na kanselahin ang P1 trilyong proyekto para sa 2025, at P600 bilyong proyekto para sa 2026. Tinataya niyang P400 bilyon ang matitipid dito.
Nauna nang ibinunyag ni Lacson sa dalawang privilege speech ang katiwalian sa likod ng mga palpak at guniguning flood control projects, kasama ang sistematiko at lantarang korapsyon sa loob ng DPWH.
Dagdag ni Lacson — na kilalang masusing nagbabantay sa pambansang budget — kanyang tututukan ang panukalang 2026 budget ng DPWH, kasabay ng panawagan sa kapwa niyang mambabatas na magpakita ng self-restraint sa pagpanukala ng realignment lalo na sa mga locally funded infrastructure projects.
“Mangilabot na tayo sa nangyari (na galit ng mamamayan sa korapsyon). Huwag na nating panatilihin ang problema. Tumulong na lang tayo na makatipid sa utang natin kasi taon-taon ang laki ng inuutang natin,” aniya.
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