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Neil Jayson Servallos - The Philippine Star
January 12, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Erwin Tulfo is pushing for on-the-ground monitoring of government projects to prevent the misuse of public funds, backing the creation of a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to track the implementation of programs funded under the 2026 General Appropriations Act.
Tulfo said reports submitted by agencies are not enough to ensure that projects are actually being carried out, stressing the need for random, physical inspections to verify implementation.
“We probably really need a person on the ground to conduct random checks,” said Tulfo, vice chairperson of the Senate committee on finance.
Tulfo said past experience has shown how failures in oversight can occur at multiple levels of government, from local offices up to national agencies.
“We’ve seen how regional directors cover for district engineers and how even secretaries can be involved,” he said.
President Marcos signed the 2026 national budget into law earlier this week, vetoing P92.5 billion worth of projects under unprogrammed appropriations.
Against this backdrop, Tulfo said stronger congressional oversight is necessary, particularly given issues flagged in previous budgets.
“I agree that both Houses of Congress should have oversight mechanisms – committees – to monitor spending in the 2026 budget,” Tulfo said, citing the mishandling of funds for flood control projects in past years.
He said lessons from the previous budget cycle should guide Congress moving forward.
“We just came out of 2025, where the budget was really squandered. Of course, we have to make sure that this won’t happen again and that the people’s money will truly go to the right purposes this year,” Tulfo said.
Asked about the credibility of an oversight committee, given allegations that some lawmakers had endorsed or inserted pet projects in the 2026 budget, Tulfo said the committee’s role is precisely to ensure transparency and accountability in reporting.
He also welcomed a proposal by Sen. Win Gatchalian, chairperson of the committee on finance, to include all committee vice chairpersons in the oversight body.
“I will really push for us to witness the implementation of the projects. There are so many projects. Big projects, small projects, farm-to-market roads, irrigation projects. We can inspect them randomly,” he added.
