When DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon announced that the department’s budget for project materials was bloated and voluntarily proposed a ₱45-billion cut, the public applauded. At last, someone in government appeared willing to acknowledge what Filipinos have long suspected: that infrastructure budgets are padded to allow leeway for corruption.
The reversal
That credibility, however, was quickly squandered when the same official later made a 180-degree turn insisting during a Bicameral hearing that the very amount he proposed to slash must now be restored to ensure project completion.
The central question
This abrupt reversal leaves the public with an unavoidable question: Was the budget bloated or not?
If it was bloated, restoring it means restoring the excess and with it, the conditions that enable corruption. If it was not bloated, then the public was misled by a reckless announcement made for applause rather than accuracy.
Two disturbing possibilities
Either explanation is deeply troubling. One points to institutionalized corruption that cannot survive without padded budgets. The other points to governance by soundbite, dramatic declarations made without technical grounding, only to be walked back when reality checks in.
What real reform requires
Real anti-corruption reform cannot be reduced to optics. It is not achieved through grand gestures or propaganda. It requires forensic audits, transparent unit costing, and accountability down to the last peso.
The legislative dilemma
We are now told that the 2026 budget must be approved for lack of material time for deeper scrutiny. That excuse rings hollow. Congress had ample time to conduct a thorough and serious review and apparently failed to do so.
If the Senate simply accedes, it risks being seen as complicit in budget manipulation. If it refuses, it will be blamed for a reenacted budget. This is a false and unfair choice imposed by poor preparation, not constitutional necessity.
What the country needs
Filipinos do not need officials who chase applause. We need honest and competent leaders who understand that once credibility is lost, restoring it is far more difficult than earning it in the first place.
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