House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio questioned Malacañang’s statement that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had no knowledge of a reported ₱24 billion “leadership fund” allegedly intended for senators’ pet projects.
The reported fund was included in the testimony of former Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Manny Bonoan before the Sandiganbayan and was reportedly contained in the agency’s 2025 budget.
Tinio said Marcos prepared and signed the 2025 national budget, arguing that the reported leadership fund did not simply appear because it went through the overall budget process.
He said it was an insult to Filipinos to claim that the president was unaware of the fund.
According to Tinio, the reported leadership fund had allegedly been integrated into the “BBM parametric formula” before 2025 and was also included among the grounds for impeachment against Marcos.
Tinio also argued that Bonoan was Marcos’ alter ego as DPWH secretary, making it difficult, in his view, to believe that a discretionary fund could have been implemented within the department without the knowledge of the appointing authority.
The lawmaker further pointed to the president’s veto power as a means to prevent abuses, saying this made it unacceptable for Marcos to distance himself from the issue.
Tinio also cited a statement by Undersecretary Claire Castro, saying it appeared to indicate either that Marcos was ineffective or that he had allowed the reported leadership fund.
The comments came in response to Malacañang’s position that Marcos had no knowledge of the reported ₱24 billion fund.
The allegations concerning the reported leadership fund were part of Bonoan’s testimony and Tinio’s criticism of the president’s position.
Tinio maintained that Marcos, as the official who signed the national budget, should not wash his hands of the issue.
The Palace’s position, as described by Tinio, was that Marcos had no knowledge of the reported fund.
