Newly appointed Budget Secretary Kim Robert De Leon vowed Wednesday to crack down on corruption and ensure public funds are no longer wasted on questionable flood control projects, declaring that the government would not allow another flood control scandal to happen.
Speaking during the leadership turnover ceremony at the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) central office, De Leon issued one of his strongest statements yet against misuse of government funds as he formally assumed leadership of the agency.
“We will not allow the budget to be abused again for another flood control scandal,” De Leon said.
“The President’s directive is clear — every piso will go to the people. Not to corruption. Not to negligence. Not to projects that do not benefit the people,” he added.
At 32 years old, De Leon became the youngest Budget secretary in Philippine history.
During his speech before DBM officials and employees, the new budget chief promised reforms focused on transparency, faster government service, tighter accountability, and spending programs that would produce visible benefits for ordinary Filipinos.
De Leon acknowledged growing public frustration over delays in government services, rising fuel prices, slowing economic growth, and concerns over how taxpayers’ money is being spent.
“In DBM, slowness is not allowed. Service should be fast. The people should be the ones who benefit,” he said.
“The government should be felt. The budget should directly ease the lives of our countrymen,” he added.
His remarks drew strong reactions inside the packed DBM auditorium, with several officials describing the speech as among the strongest anti-corruption messages delivered by a newly installed budget secretary in recent years.
De Leon also emphasized the need to restore trust in the DBM and in government institutions through discipline, integrity, and concrete results.
“As a true-blooded scout, I am guided by the scout code — always and in all ways,” he said.
“Public office is public trust, and every peso entrusted to the government carries the hopes of the Filipino people,” he added.
Before his appointment, De Leon built a reputation as a reform-oriented technocrat focused on fiscal management, organizational development, and digital governance reforms aimed at improving efficiency and reducing opportunities for corruption.