by Diego Morra
When mountains of evidence point to the point to the culpability of Malacanang itself in crafting the national budgets from 2022 to 2025 that contained P545.6 billion in flood control funds that was siphoned off to fill the pockets of congressmen, senators, DPWH, COA and DBM officials, it is justified, in fact necessary, for the Filipino people to file an impeachment case against the genuine architect of the annual general appropriations laws—the President himself.
In all honesty, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. committed the biggest error of his administration when he signed the 2023 budget law despite glaring appropriations that bankrolled ghost, substandard and unnecessary flood control projects (FCPs), distributed “allocable” funds to projects in congressional districts with lawmakers getting their shameless commissions for personal and political purposes, and subsidized “ayuda” programs that benefited “marginalized” or “sick” constituents, preferably war leaders. In the past three years, it was pure trumpery why the Palace failed to exercise its financial wizardry to ferret out those at the DPWH, DBM and COA, as well as lawmakers whose duty is to craft laws and not dip their fingers into the cookie jar.
In filing the articles of impeachment against Marcos Jr. on Jan. 22, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) secretary-general Ronnie Manalo said that it was criminal neglect on his part to have allowed the abuses in budget crafting during the Rodrigo Duterte administration to continue under his watch. Manalo argued that farmers and rural communities were the principal victims of the destructive floods that were never mitigated by the scandl-ridden FCPs. KMP noted that a cursory examination of the budgets approved during the Marcos Jr. administration teemed with slush funds.
The complaint, Manalo said, details how Marcos Jr. “personally engineered, approved, and implemented a budgetary system that siphoned at least P545.6 billion in flood control funds from 2022 to 2025 funds that should have protected lives, farms, and rural livelihoods.” The articles of impeachment alleged that Marcos Jr betrayed public trust by institutionalizing systemic corruption and patronage by adopting the BBM Parametric Formula. Furthermore, he abused his discretionary power over unprogrammed appropriations (UA.) Worse, he was involved in the insertion of P100-billion in anomalous projects in the 2025 national budget. “At the height of climate disasters from El Nino to massive flooding, Marcos Jr. turned flood control into a nationwide racket,” KMP said. This is clearly a betrayal of public trust.”
Manalo lashed out at the dubious BBM Parametric Formula, which throws under the bus the technical requirements for infrastructure projects, does away with genuine planning and meticulous execution of the work for the benefit and safety of communities. The formula is an equation for sustained political patronage and resurrects the pork barrel system that was previously struck down by the Supreme Court (SC.) Instead of abiding by the High Court’s decision, the Marcos Jr. regime creatively hatched a new modus operandi that institutionalized massive kickbacks, advance “commitments” and payoffs to favored officials and contractors.
The farmer-leader also scored the skyrocketing amounts reserved for UAs that reached P807 billion in 2023 and P734 billion in 2024. Marcos Jr. dutifully exercised sole authority to release P213.8 billion in these standby funds, bypassing Congress and converting the national budget into a slush fund. To subsidize the UAs, the Department of Finance (DOF) sequestered the “excess funds” of both PhilHealth and PDIC to the National Treasury despite the law saying Malacanang cannot touch the money reserved for health and medical insurance as well as deposit insurance. The SC has ruled the PhilHealth transfer unconstitutional.
Testimonies and internal DPWH documents, including the so-called “Cabral Files,” alleged that the Office of the President (OP) was responsible for project insertions, coding of “allocables” and systematic kickback collection. Former officials admitted that at least P56 billion in payoffs was generated and cash purportedly delivered to Palace officials. These allegations have been denied by the Palace but mere denial has no probative value. With Congress in receipt of the impeachment complaint, it has to act forthwith on the matter.
Farmers and rural communities continue to bear the cost of the orchestrated plunder and corruption. Hundreds of flood control projects were found to be ghost or ineffective, with DENR data showing only 23% effectiveness nationwide. Flood-prone agricultural areas were neglected, while politically favored provinces received bloated projects. “For farmers, floods mean hunger, debt, and displacement. Marcos Jr. chose plunder over protection,” KMP stressed. It fully supports the impeachment complaint endorsed by Makabayan lawmakers and people’s organizations. “Lahat ng sangkot ay dapat managot, simula sa tuktok.”
