The Committee on Finance Chairman Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian raised concerns on Thursday about the anomalous projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that bypassed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) review.

In an exclusive interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, Gatchalian revealed the red flags or anomalies discovered during the Senate's review of the National Expenditure Program (NEP), including double appropriations and multiple allocations worth hundreds of millions.

“Nakita namin na may anim na klaseng red flags. Itong mga red flags na ito, isa doon halimbawa may mga nadoble na projects sa loob ng National Expenditure Program, for example parehong-pareho ang project title, parehong barangay, parehong municipality, pero dalawa o tatlong project na ganon na nagkakahalaga ng hundred million na naulit-ulit lang sa loob,” said Gatchalian.

He also revealed that they discovered some projects listed in the 2026 budget that had already been completed in 2024 or 2025.

“Meron din kaming nakita na ginawa na yung project in 2025 or 2024 pero naulit uli no’ng 2026, e gawa na yung project na ‘yon e. Parehong-pareho yung project description,” he said, emphasizing that the projects had exactly the same descriptions as the ones previously implemented, raising concerns about duplication, which indicates possible anomalies within the NEP.

Gatchalian questioned the DBM, asking how such entries managed to slip through their review process, especially since the DBM is expected to examine proposals one by one. He identified this as one of the questionable issues highlighted during the Senate hearing.

He explained that there are mechanisms available to correct such issues in the budget, such as making amendments or issuing an errata. However, instead of using these options, the House of Representatives decided to just return the NEP to Malacañang.

Despite the flood control issues involving the DPWH, the Senate continued the budget briefing to stay on track with passing the budget within the year

Other anomalous projects

DZRH anchor Gerry Baja asked Gatchalian whether anomalies such as double appropriations, multiple allocations, and other red flags in flood control projects could also be happening in other types of projects, such as building constructions, roadworks, and similar undertakings, to which the senator answered, “Posible ‘yan. Yung kalsada, marami ring kalsada. Meron tayong irrigation project, meron tayong farm to market road, meron tayong mga kalsada, may multipurpose building pa, nakita kami doon. So posible ‘yan. ‘Yan ang isa sa mga nire-review naman namin ngayon. Kasi yung flood control lang 4,000 na, ang dami e. Ngayon ang nire-review naman namin yung kabuuan na ng DPWH projects.”

Several DPWH anomalous flood control projects surpassed DBM review

Moreover, DZRH anchor Anthony Taberna further queried how the problem surpassed the DBM review.

Gatchalian shared that the DBM explained they were unable to thoroughly review all projects due to the sheer volume. However, he stressed that this reasoning is unacceptable. He pointed out that since the Executive branch submits the budget through the DBM, and because it serves as the "gatekeeper" of the national budget, it is expected that all budget items have undergone proper scrutiny.

He added that the Senate operates under the assumption that every item in the NEP has been reviewed and is in order. Yet, even with just a simple table-top review, they were able to identify duplicate projects, which were projects that had been listed more than once. Gatchalian noted that he was not the only one who observed this; Senators Erwin Tulfo and Panfilo Lacson also flagged the same issue. He emphasized that this shows how certain questionable projects are able to slip past the DBM's review process.

“Pero dapat dahil under their guidelines, tinitingnan nila kung merong feasibility study, may detailed engineering. Pag sinabi mong detailed engineering, dapat yung proyekto na ‘yon ay napag-aralang mabuti at merong ng mga design. Kung meron ka nang design, hindi talaga magiging whole number, kasi makikita natin lahat puro ten million, hundred million, buo yung numero. Diba pag gumagawa tayo ng bagay hindi naman buo yung numero, may butal-butal ‘yan. So aming palagay walang detailed engineering ‘to, at inamin naman ng DBM na hindi nila malalaman dahil nga sa dami ng projects,” he said, emphasizing that when the President’s Budget is submitted, the assumption is that it has already been thoroughly reviewed.

He added that even basic errors, such as duplicate entries, should be easy to spot using common sense. “Kung hindi man nila naintindihan ang technicalities, tingnan nila kung may doble, kung naulit ang project. Kasi ito hindi mo naman kailangang maging engineer e, kailangan mo lang dito ng masinop ka lang sa pagre-review at may common sense na doble,” he said. He stressed that such obvious issues should raise red flags and be removed immediately.

The senator recommended that the DBM revisit and strengthen its internal review processes. He emphasized that the DBM, being the gatekeeper of the national budget, is responsible for thoroughly checking all budget proposals before they are submitted to Congress.

Other agencies

Gatchalian was asked whether the culprits behind similar anomalies would also be identified in other agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Philippine National Police (PNP), noting that the DPWH is not the only agency with inconsistencies in budget spending.

The senator explained that since the projects are already included in the NEP, this means they are part of the Executive Budget. He noted that before proposals are included in the NEP, there is a consultation process that takes place.

According to him, this process involves gathering input from various stakeholders such as local government units (LGUs), congressmen, mayors, governors, and even the communities themselves. These consultations are conducted prior to the inclusion of projects in the NEP, making it even more important that the listed projects are reviewed thoroughly.

Furthermore, Gatchalian stated that the Senate has agreed that if any senator wishes to know the history behind a particular amendment, it will be discussed openly on the Senate floor. This ensures that the discussion is not only placed on the official record but also heard by everyone during the session.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has decided not to return the 2026 NEP to the DBM. Instead, they will proceed directly with the scheduled budget hearings.