The Senate Finance Subcommittee brought the hammer down on Monday, resuming its intense scrutiny of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) proposed 2026 budget. 

At the heart of the controversy are a staggering 6,187 projects valued at P271 billion, all bearing a bright red flag. 

Senators sought immediate clarification on why these vital infrastructure plans were plagued by serious irregularities, including the mysterious absence of station numbers (making location impossible to verify), outright duplicate entries, and projects reappearing despite being fully funded in the previous year's budget. 

The sheer scale of the flagged funds has put immense pressure on public works officials to justify every peso before the budget is approved.

Facing the heat, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon defended the agency's validation efforts, assuring the committee that the most serious issues were being rapidly addressed. 

He pushed back against the suggestion that thousands of projects were simply duplicates, confirming that they had already verified a significant portion of the listings. 

Addressing the accusations head-on, Secretary Dizon reported that almost 800 seemingly repetitive projects were verified as legitimate continuations, and over 4,000 of the projects initially lacking station numbers have since been corrected.

Despite the progress, the DPWH requested more time to fully justify the balance of the controversial budget items, pushing against a looming Senate deadline. 

This prompted the legislature to issue a warning: any project not satisfactorily accounted for would be immediately removed from the 2026 spending plan. 

Acknowledging the gravity of the situation and the pressure for accountability, Secretary Dizon signaled his acceptance of the Senate’s authority over the matter, submitting to their timetable by stating: "Kung sabihin niyo po Mr Chairman na hanggang kahapon na lang then please feel free to remove the other projects."

Beyond the budget list itself, the hearing also addressed public complaints about redundant and unnecessary road works. Senator Erwin Tulfo called out the recurring issue of newly-paved roads being dug up and repaved repeatedly. 

The DPWH Secretary conceded that this has been a long-standing public concern, but assured the committee that immediate action has been taken to stop the practice. 

In a move to enforce discipline and create clear guidelines, Secretary Dizon confirmed the nationwide suspension: "But for your information po senator pinahinto na po namin as of October 7 ang lahat ng rebracking activities nationwide muna." 

The final decision on the P271 billion remains on a razor's edge, highlighting the intense battle between infrastructure needs and fiscal integrity.

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