Marcos freezes P60B-P80B in questionable infra funds
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered a freeze on P60 billion to P80 billion worth of infrastructure funds in the 2025 national budget, citing inconsistencies with the government's Philippine Development Plan (PDP).
Most of these funds cover Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects that were inserted during congressional deliberations.
The freeze marks one of the biggest budgetary actions under the Marcos administration, signaling a tougher stance against questionable infrastructure spending, particularly amid growing concerns about corruption in flood control and road projects.
President Marcos personally inspected an unfinished P55-million flood control project in Baliwag City, Bulacan province, which government records had listed as completed, calling it a 'very clear case of falsification.'
The President said the contractor responsible for the Baliwag project would be blacklisted from government dealings and its other projects placed under review.
Political analysts noted that the handling of corruption in infrastructure projects could become a defining issue for the administration as it heads into the final stretch of Mr. Marcos' term.
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