Senators and Congressmen are culprits in Flood Control Budget mess, not DBM

Legislators Should Take Responsibility for this flood control fiasco, instead of dumping It on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Sec. Amenah Pagdanganan.

Even as the national budget for 2026 has only been brought to the table, the knives have already been drawn. A number of legislators are once again throwing the finger of blame at DBM) and Pangandaman, as if she were the mastermind behind each and every problematic project that was included in the proposal.

People must understand that this is very clearly ‘a political theater’ , crafted perfectly by legislators to protect the real perpetrators. A drama intended to downplay the real issues.

Just so there is no confusion, the DBM does not come up with projects. Pet roads that lead nowhere and ghost flood control projects that nobody asked for are not things that are created by this process. These plans are formulated within the agencies DPWH etc., that are responsible for implementing them, and they are frequently endorsed by legislators who regard the budget as if it were their own personal ATM.

It is not the responsibility of the DBM to carry out a forensic audit of each and every line item from the legislators by the time their padded pork projects arrive on the desk of the DBM. Rather, the agency’s role is to only consolidate and rationalize these budgetary proposals.

However, politicians continue to thrive on scapegoating to secure their per projects and enhance their images to the innocent public. Instead of providing explanations as to why their fingerprints are all over bloated projects, they would rather malign Pangandaman and the DBM.

Suddenly, these politicians are singing the same tune . Senators and congressmen who pose as fiscal hawks in front of cameras but in reality , smuggle in last-minute insertions to the national budget. And their favorite past time at thia juncture, blaming the DBM for everything to clearly divert the peoples’attention and cover their tracks.

Allow me to be more straight forward. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) not a superpower agency. It would be unreasonable to anticipate that Pangandaman and her colleagues will analyze each and every peso request, project by project. The process would take years, by which time the nation would be unable to function since it would not have a budget for operations.

The line agencies and the offices of politicians who sponsor ideas are the real ones who are completely responsible for vetting them. This responsibility lies squarely where the proposals originate. Should they fail to perform that task, the responsibility lies with them, not with the DBM.

Every single time, Secretary Pangandaman has been a staunch advocate for openness and honesty. She has advocated for changes that would digitize the budget process and make it more accessible to the public. Because of this, she poses a danger to the old boys’ club, which prefers to conduct its business in the shadows.

As a result of her refusal to engage in the game of backroom bargains and budgetary horse trading, it is not surprising that she is receiving criticism. Therefore, let’s put an end to the circus show at this point.

It is common practice for legislators to act as though they are the victims of a defective budget system, when in reality, they are the most significant beneficiaries of this system. They should begin by cleaning their own ranks and inside the organizations that they have power over, rather than accusing Pangandaman of being a bad person.

In the realm of politics, the budget is not a prize. It belongs to the general populace. People should be able to see through the finger-pointing and see it for what it is: a cowardly attempt to protect themselves from accountability. It is not necessary to provide Secretary Pangandaman with a defense because her track record speaks for itself.

The public, however, has a right to know the truth: the true issue is not with the Department of Business Management; rather, it is with Congress and with agencies that are unable to police themselves and control their greed. Senators and congressmen should refrain from attacking the messenger and instead begin to accept responsibility if they wish to improve their already lost credibility to the people.