DPWH exec who sought budget insertion named

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday identified an “Undersecretary Cabral” as the senior public works official who reached out to Sen. Vicente Sotto III shortly after the May 2025 elections to invite him to make insertions in the 2026 national budget.

In an interview over dzBB, Lacson said the official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) phoned Sotto’s office to solicit proposed projects for the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“One ‘Undersecretary Cabral’ called Sotto’s staff and told them to insert what they wanted to insert. If Senator Sotto was one of those called by that executive, who else could have been contacted similarly and submitted their proposed insertions?” Lacson said in Filipino.

When asked if the DPWH official was Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, Sotto replied: “That’s what was relayed to me.”

He clarified that he did not speak with Cabral directly but only through an emissary.

“Maybe it is her who knows the people who put insertions in the budget,” he said.

Public records show Cabral as DPWH undersecretary for planning, public-private partnerships, and information management services.

She could not be reached immediately yesterday for comment.

Sotto first bared the incident two weeks ago when he was interpellating Lacson’s privilege speech on flood control anomalies.

Lacson added that Sotto turned down the offer.

“Senator Sotto told me he did not submit anything because we are advocating transparency and good governance. The question now is, how many members of the House and Senate made insertions?” he said.

In a separate interview, Sotto confirmed Lacson’s statements, saying someone relayed an offer in behalf of the DPWH, asking if he was interested in submitting projects for inclusion in the NEP.

“Senator Lacson’s story is true. Someone relayed to me, asking if I am interested to submit for the NEP. I said no because it would look like I inserted in the NEP. I never did that ever,” Sotto said.

He said he was told that the call came from Cabral.

Lacson said he has formally asked for records related to the budget call, noting that he has already seen hundreds of “distinct” entries in the draft, including 660 identical P100-million projects without specific details.

The senator warned that collusion between lawmakers and agencies in crafting the NEP undermines existing safeguards in the budget process.

He recalled that the budget call for 2026 began in January 2025 and was likely completed by June, weeks before President Marcos called out questionable budget practices in his July 28 State of the Nation Address.

“Safeguards will be rendered useless if there is collusion. If there is collusion, all safeguards will be disregarded, as seen in the briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee where there was collusion between legislators and the DPWH in the drafting of the NEP,” Lacson said.

‘Impossible that SPs don’t know’

Sotto said that former Senate presidents could not have been unaware of questionable budget insertions, as he insisted that they should be made to explain how projects were quietly slipped into the national budget.

“Sure, 100 percent because I did not allow it,” Sotto said over dzBB, adding that during his four-and-a-half years as Senate president during the Duterte administration, he only allowed institutional amendments approved by the entire committee.

“It’s impossible that the SP doesn’t know,” he said, noting that the alleged abuse of the bicameral conference process in 2024 and 2025 could not have escaped Senate presidents.

Sotto said former Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri and incumbent Francis Escudero may soon be asked by the public to explain.

“Maybe our kababayans will ask for it,” Sotto said.

He added that finance committee chairpersons also “know everything” about insertions.

Zubiri denies knowledge

In response to Sotto’s assertions, Zubiri denied having any knowledge of the supposed questionable insertions during the budget deliberations.

“I never meddled in the bicam, nor have I attended any small bicam,” Zubiri said, stressing that transparency would remove doubts over the integrity of the budget process.

Zubiri clarified that the process of handling requests for amendments lies with the committee on appropriations in both chambers.

“All the requests for amendments whether institutional or local are given to the chairperson of the committee. Never as SP did I meddle with any list or request from any member of the Senate,” he added.

Zubiri also expressed support for releasing the names of lawmakers who pushed for insertions in the 2025 national budget.

“On the issue of the amendments of the budget, I have always maintained that let’s release the names of all the proponents of these insertions during the bicam. It’s impossible no one sponsored that in the small bicam where a lot of the amendments were done. We should find out if that’s from a congressman or a senator and from whom. The Chairpersons at that time have that list,” Zubiri said in a statement.

Zubiri also said the Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office can determine whether the insertions originated from senators or House lawmakers during small bicameral meetings.

Ping to President Marcos: We feel you

Meanwhile, Lacson on Sunday pledged support for President Marcos in the campaign against corruption, saying he and his team are ready to gather evidence against those behind anomalous flood control projects.

“We feel you, Mr. President. You have given me and my team the firm resolve to do our part in exposing, even compiling solid evidence to nail these ‘greedy flood-control profiteers’ and their cohorts both in the public and private sectors. We have your back, Sir,” Lacson said in a post on X.

He added over the weekend that he is prepared to furnish the new leadership of the DPWH with “damning evidence” against what he called the agency’s “rotten fruits.”

Lacson is set to deliver another privilege speech on Sept. 10 to follow up on his flood control exposé.