Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has cited Mindoro as a glaring example of questionable government spending, revealing that budget allocations for public works in the province jumped from around P3 billion to nearly P21 billion between planning and final approval stages.
Speaking on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos program, Magalong said records show the two Mindoro provinces were originally allocated a combined P3 billion in the National Expenditure Program (NEP), but the final General Appropriations Act (GAA) allotted almost P21 billion for the area.
Oriental Mindoro’s first district had just over P1 billion in the NEP while Occidental Mindoro’s district had around P2 billion.
The mayor said most corrupt projects involve massive Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) funds, with increases too obvious to ignore.
He questioned why allocations would suddenly balloon to P20 billion when original plans showed far smaller amounts.
Magalong said he plans to present the documents before the House of Representatives rather than the Senate, explaining that he wants the revelations to have maximum impact.
The mayor disclosed that during inspections with DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, they found no acceptable DPWH-funded projects.
He described corruption at the agency as a cottage industry for politicians, contractors and DPWH officials.
Magalong said the pattern repeats in many areas, with budget insertions suggesting something questionable is happening in those locations.
The jumps between planned and approved budgets are shocking in scale, he added.
The mayor recently resigned as special advisor to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, believing his findings may have struck some nerves.
But he vowed to keep pushing the issue through the Mayors for Good Governance group, insisting that someone must be held accountable and imprisoned over the anomalies.
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