MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday in Manila urged Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon to acknowledge alleged errors in the computation of cost reductions affecting the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) 10,000 infrastructure projects for 2025, warning that unresolved discrepancies could stall approval of the national budget.
Lacson called on Dizon to clarify the basis of the reported cost reductions reflected in the DPWH budget, including how the figures were computed and which officials authorized their submission to Congress.
He said the DPWH transmitted the numbers as part of the proposed national expenditure program and that senators raised questions after reviewing the data during plenary deliberations.
He added that any corrections must follow established congressional budget procedures and said senators require accurate and verified data to finalize amendments to public works allocations. Lacson said coordination with the Senate finance committee remains necessary to resolve the discrepancies.
