Malacañang on Thursday assured the public that the proposed P3.06-billion allocation for evacuation centers under the 2027 national budget will not be diverted into election campaign funds.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro dismissed concerns from Sen. Panfilo Lacson that the uniform P180-million regional allocation could lead to “ghost projects” or political misuse ahead of the 2028 elections. She stressed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would not tolerate the misuse of public funds.
“Hindi na po nanaisin ng Pangulo na magkaroon ng mga ghost projects na nangyari sa mga nakaraang administrasyon at sa administrasyong kasalukuyan (The President would not want ghost projects to happen, as they did under previous administrations and the current administration),” Castro said.
Addressing fears of election misuse, Castro noted that oversight mechanisms are active to track project completion: “Sa pangamba na ito ay magagamit sa eleksyon, marami po tayong paraan para makita natin kung may mga proyektong napondohan pero hindi nagawa (On the concerns that this would be used for the elections, we have many ways to determine whether there are projects that were funded but not implemented).”
Citing the Department of Budget and Management, Castro explained that omitting specific project locations in the 2027 National Expenditure Program does not mean the sites are selected arbitrarily or lack an implementation framework.
Under Republic Act No. 12076, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council will coordinate with local government units and relevant agencies to identify and prioritize locations based on disaster risk, topography, land availability and local demand. The Department of Public Works and Highways will serve as the primary implementing agency, with plans to construct two evacuation centers per region.