Senators Demand Investigation on 2025 Budget’s Scandalous Bicam Insertions
MANILA, Philippines — Senators Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson have called for a thorough investigation into the so-called “scandalous bicam insertions” in the 2025 national budget. The senators warn that these last-minute amendments reveal a massive pork barrel scheme hidden under billions of pesos in flood control and infrastructure projects.
Sotto highlighted the scale and secrecy of the bicam insertions, especially those involving the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). “Grabe is the word. Amendments by the Senate in the past never ran into billions, especially if it involves the DPWH,” he said, emphasizing how unusual and excessive these changes are. He also expressed concern over the cuts made to the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Health (DOH) to fund these additions.
Why the 2025 Budget Insertions Are Alarming
In a recent radio interview, Sotto explained that while project amendments during budget discussions are common, inserting billions worth of projects only during the bicameral conference committee (bicam) stage is highly suspicious. “Ngayon bakit ko sinasabi scandalous at excessive… Pagka ganyang billion-billion ng usapan at hindi ninyo nilagay sa budget kundi nilagay ninyo sa bicam, ay teka muna, ibang usapan yan, malalang pork barrel ang tawag yan,” he stated.
(“Now, why do I say it’s scandalous and excessive? When you’re talking about billions, and instead of including it in the budget, you insert it during the bicam, that’s another story. That’s what you call a serious case of pork barrel.”)
These allegations stem from a 103-page document obtained by watchdog groups, flagging ₱142.7 billion in bicam insertions. Reports suggest that many projects were funneled into flood control and infrastructure, particularly in the provinces of Sorsogon, Bulacan, and Davao — areas linked to key senators involved in the bicam process.
Concerns also arose about transparency, as some projects were split into multiple phases or packages, with large allocations sometimes repeated under different listings. Additionally, many entries lacked detailed technical descriptions, raising red flags about their legitimacy.
Lacson Highlights Billions Spent Yet Flooding Persists
Senator Lacson echoed Sotto’s concerns, pointing out the paradox of nearly ₱2 trillion spent on flood control over 15 years, yet flooding remains a severe problem. “Isn’t it absurd that the rise of floodwaters in our ‘malas’ country is directly proportional to the increase in the annual budget for the national government’s flood management program?” Lacson questioned.
His comments came amid recent flooding caused by Typhoon Crising, the southwest monsoon, and storms Dante and Emong, which severely affected Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Reviewing historical budget data, Lacson noted how flood control funding ballooned from ₱11 billion in 2011 to over ₱346 billion in 2025. Despite this massive spending, floodwaters continue to rise, suggesting failures in management, planning, or policy.
Tracing Flood Control Funds and Accountability
Lacson clarified that his figures mainly cover DPWH allocations and do not include flood control funds managed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). He promised to raise these issues during budget deliberations or through a privilege speech to demand accountability.
He stressed the need to evaluate the government’s flood control policies and questioned why billions in funds seem wasted without yielding the expected results. “Ano ang policy natin sa flood control or flood management? Bakit tayo nagkakaganito? Ang laki ng pondong nasasayang,” he said.
Asked about responsibility, Lacson pointed to the DPWH, whose personnel have remained constant through various administrations. He urged that the agency clarify where flood control funds actually went instead of blaming past officials.
Flood Control Spending vs. Real Solutions
To illustrate the vastness of spending, Lacson calculated that with ₱348 million allocated daily for flood control, the government could purchase a high-end dredging machine every day and still have millions left over. “Kaya pala natin bumili ng isang dredging machine araw-araw at may sobrang P65 million… Katakot-takot na dredging machine yan, dapat wala tayong baha kung sa dredging lang natin dadaanin,” he remarked.
(“So it turns out we could buy one dredging machine every day and still have ₱65 million left. That’s an overwhelming number of dredging machines. We shouldn’t be experiencing any flooding if dredging were really the solution.”)
Lacson recognized climate change as a factor but argued it cannot be the sole excuse for the persistent flooding. He said: “Kasama na yung climate change pero yan din ang tinuturo palagi eh, climate change, pero hindi natin tinitignan ano naman yung kamalian natin in terms of preparation, in terms of planning, in terms of implementation.”
(“Climate change is part of it, yes. But that’s always the one being blamed: climate change. Yet we don’t look at our own shortcomings when it comes to preparation, planning, and implementation.”)
He added a harsh warning that a significant portion of the flood control funds might have been pocketed by corrupt individuals: “Baka kasi yung ₱2 trillion na yun, baka yung ₱1 trillion noon napunta sa bulsa ng kung sinu-sino.”
(“Maybe out of that ₱2 trillion, around ₱1 trillion ended up in the pockets of certain people.”)
As flooding worsens despite increasing budgets, Lacson concluded, “Tumataas yung baha, tumataas din yung pondo. Hindi kanais-nais, hindi katanggap-tanggap. Illogical.”
(“The floods are rising, and so is the funding. It’s undesirable, unacceptable. Illogical.”)
For more news and updates on the 2025 budget bicam insertions and flood control issues, visit Filipinokami.com.
