House to Probe Alleged P8-B Firearms Allocation Under DILG
MANILA — The House of Representatives is set to investigate the alleged P8-billion firearms allocation under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Leaders have pointed out that this supposed budget insertion does not appear in either the 2025 or 2026 budget proposals.
Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno, during a press briefing, revealed that issues of project insertions initially found in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also extend to other agencies, including the DILG.
Questions Raised Over Missing Firearms Budget
Puno, who once headed the DILG, highlighted that the firearms deal mentioned by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla was not reflected in the official budgets for 2025 and 2026. “There were double appropriations, there were oversized lump sum nationwide allocations. So in the beginning, we were thinking this is maybe just public works. But you know, we have been slowly going over the other agencies as well, little by little some things have been appearing and surfacing,” he said.
He added, “In the DILG, for example, where as you know, I have some experience, some questions again recently were raised about the purchase of firearms and whether or not they were in the budget. There was supposed to be an P8-billion entry or insertion in the budgets. Frankly, we have been looking for the item in the 2025 budget …we didn’t so far see it unless DBM can produce it for us. In the 2026 budget, it is not there either.”
Committee Action and Investigation
The National Unity Party chairperson said they have tasked Manila 2nd District Representative Rolando Valeriano, who leads the House committee on public order and safety, to look into the matter. “We have requested Congressman Roland Valeriano…to assess the situation, maybe call a hearing, invite the people concerned, to see what is this matter that we are talking about here. Because frankly, the congressmen are in the dark about this,” Puno emphasized.
Last Monday, Remulla expressed willingness to face congressional scrutiny after opposing a proposal for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to purchase P8 billion worth of firearms. “If I’m called on by Congress and the Senate to give all the details, I will do it,” he stated during a press conference in Quezon City. “I’m willing to take a lie detector test to prove my point that I wasn’t allowing the proposal.”
Remulla also disclosed that his office received the P8-billion proposal about a month ago but did not reveal who submitted it. If approved, the firearms purchase would have been added to the 2026 DILG budget as a congressional insertion, since it was not part of the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Probing the Alleged Insertion and Related Issues
Valeriano, present at the briefing, confirmed that the investigation into the alleged firearms insertion will begin as early as next week. He also noted that the probe will determine if former PNP chief General Nicolas Torre III was removed due to his opposition to the firearms deal.
“As chairman of public order and safety, I will conduct a hearing on the unsolicited proposal, which I believe is worth P8 billion, reportedly involving the PNP and the DILG. Once and for all, it must be settled whether this is motu proprio, introduced through a resolution, or raised in a privilege speech. The earliest will be by next week,” Valeriano said. “We’ll see that during the hearing. We’ll find out if they are involved. Definitely, they will be invited to the hearing.”
House Leaders Push to Return Budget to DBM
On Wednesday, House leaders from various political parties recommended to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez that the National Expenditure Program be returned to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for revisions. Puno explained that if Congress proceeds without returning the NEP, it would require numerous amendments through errata, which could raise suspicions of irregular budget realignments.
He further urged party members to refrain from attending budget deliberations until the issues are resolved.
Concerns Over ‘Ghost’ Projects in Budget
Last Friday, Puno revealed that some items in the 2026 NEP were allocated for completed projects. He cited Marikina Representative Marcelino Teodoro’s report that several projects in his district had been finished but were still included in the budget. This prompted Puno to review allocations in his own district, Antipolo’s first district, where he found that projects previously provided by the DPWH’s district and regional engineering offices no longer appeared in the NEP.
Moreover, Puno filed House Resolution No. 201, calling for an investigation into the sponsors behind alleged “ghost” flood control projects listed in the 2025 national budget.
For more news and updates on the P8-billion firearms allocation, visit Filipinokami.com.
