Districts of top House leaders, some Bulacan solons get top DPWH allocations -Tinio

The district engineering offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways that received the highest allocations in the proposed 2027 national budget include those that cover the legislative districts of top officials of the House of Representatives, a House deputy minority leader said on Friday.

ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, in an online interview, said the top engineering districts with the highest allocations include those that are in charge of the districts of Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, and Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III of Isabela.

He also mentioned the DPWH's second engineering district in Bulacan.

Sandro Marcos, one of the sons of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., is the House Majority Leader, while Suansing is the chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations that shepherded the budget bill through the House of Representatives.

The House on Wednesday gave second reading approval to the P7.2-trillion General Appropriations Bill. It is scheduled to approve the same on third and final reading on Monday.

GMA News has reached out to Dy, Marcos, and Suansing for comment and will post their side when it is available.

Tinio didn't refer to the Bulacan lawmakers, but those with jurisdiction in the area of the DPWH's second engineering district are Representatives Linabelle Ruth Villarica of the fourth district, Salvador Pleyto of the sixth district, and Arturo Robes of San Jose Del Monte City.

GMA News has also sought their comment on the budget data Tinio raised and presented.

"Overall, kung ira-rank natin ‘yung mga district engineering offices, ang may pinakamalaki overall ay Ilocos Norte 1st. Meron siyang total of P4.79 billion na DPWH projects," Tinio said in an online interview on Friday.

"Ang pangalawa, Nueva Ecija 1st district engineering office, P3.91 billion. Pangatlo, Bulacan. Bulacan second district engineering office, may tatlong legislative districts na saklaw ‘yan, P3.5 billion. Sumunod d’yan, Isabela. So may dalawang districts na saklaw itong DEO na ito, P3.1 billion," he added.

"Well, obviously, I'm talking about the majority leader, the chair of Committee on Appropriations, and the Speaker, 'di ba?" Tinio said.

As for the allocation for each legislative district, Tinio said, "Supposedly ang baseline per district is P500 million. Tapos puwedeng bumaba, tumaas o bumaba batay sa so-called formula."

But the deputy minority leader also disclosed that even party-lists have allocations.

"Yung party-list, as I've said, meron ding alokayson sa DPWH infrastructure projects, anywhere from P120 to 160 million. Pero again, puwedeng madagdagan o mabawasan 'yan depende pa rin sa lapit sa kusina," Tinio said.

When asked if the Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives also has allocations, Tinio replied, "Decision namin na walang alokasyon dito sa DPWH or infrastructure projects."

"Nagdesisyon kami na ‘yong medical assistance, yes. Dahil ‘yan ang kailangan ng mamamayan, lumalapit ang mga constituents at ang mamamayan sa amin. So rather than tanggihan at ituro sa iba, na doon lang kayo, eh di direkta na namin hinahawakan. So ganoon ‘yon. Pero nananatili ang posisyon natin na dapat walang ganoon," Tinio said. –NB, GMA News