Puno debunks VP Duterte's claim of Congress tinkering with school building funds

Manila Bulletin

House Deputy Speaker Antipolo 1st district Rep. Ronaldo “Ronnie” Puno has debunked Vice President Sara Duterte's claim that members of Congress divide among themselves the funds under the Department of Education’s (DepEd) school building program. (Video courtesy of House of Representatives)  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/08/29/puno-debunks-vp-dutertes-claim-of-congress-tinkering-with-school-building-funds  Join this channel to get access to perks:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5664f6TkaeHgwBly50DWZQ/join   Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin   Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin  Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin   #ManilaBulletinOnline  #ManilaBulletin  #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00Sir, si Vice President Sara Duterte po, sinabi niya na yung investigation hindi dapat matapos toon lang sa flood control projects dahil nung panahon daw niya sa DepEd, sir.

00:12May mga proyektong hindi na kukonsulta sa DepEd tapos biglang andyan na tapos pinapagparte-partehan lang daw ng certain congressmen yung pondo po.

00:22So dapat pati school buildings daw po masama.

00:24Kailangan naiintindihan natin ang budget process eh para natin masagot yung tanong na yan.

00:34So pagbigyan ninyo ako na magbigay ng konting paliwanag sa kung anong paano nangyayari dito sa budget na ito.

00:43Yung National Expenditure Program na sinusumite ng bawat ahensya,

00:48The only NEP or National Expenditure Program na may initiative power or ability yung congressman is DPWH.

01:01And ang rason dyan is kasi doon sa NEP na binibigay ng DPWH sa DBM,

01:09meron portion doon that are for local infrastructure projects talaga.

01:13So for example, this year it is I believe 150 million pesos.

01:19So anong pwede mong ilagay doon?

01:21Mga tulay na maliliit yung mga maliliit na kalye sa mga gusto mong buksan na lugar sa lokal.

01:29Wala kaming nabibigay na suggestions on national projects.

01:34For example, national highway, national buildings.

01:39Wala kaming karapatan gumawa noon.

01:40Kung purely local naman yan, halimbawa yung city hall,

01:44eh city funds yan.

01:46Wala rin kinalaman yung NEP na nakukuha natin dyan.

01:49So, doon naman sa DepEd,

01:54wala naman kapasidad din ang congressman mag-initiate

01:57except pag kinonsulta sila ng DepEd.

02:01So for example, itong budget ng DepEd ngayon,

02:04wala akong alam na congressman na formally nag-submit ng listahan ng mga eskwelahan na kailangan niya

02:13pagkatapos automatically nasama sa DepEd budget.

02:17Yung pamamaraan dyan is,

02:21DepEd has a program for the whole period.

02:24May shortage tayo of 40,000 classrooms.

02:28Paano nila pupunin yung 40,000 classrooms na yun?

02:32Gagawa sila ng plan o nationwide,

02:34based nila sa kung sinong priority,

02:36sinong mas nangangailangan.

02:39Tapos doon nila ilalagay yung kanilang mga proposal for the NEP 2026.

02:45Ganon.

02:46So kung sasabihin natin na dapat bantayan,

02:49talaga, lahat ng mga bagay na nasa National Expenditure Program,

02:54dapat titignan talaga.

02:55In fact, yan ang katungkulan.

02:57That's the obligation of congress.

02:59We really have to look at it.

03:01As to whether or not lumalanding sa mga congressman yan,

03:04eh, hindi ko alam ano.

03:06Kasi the fans of the DepEd, for example,

03:09so far, ah, so far,

03:11pagka may school building,

03:12linilipat yan automatically sa DPWH.

03:15Walang construction na ginagawa ang DepEd.

03:18Pumupunta talaga sa DPWH.

03:21In that sense, no,

03:22maaring sabihin na baka nakukupong na naman doon

03:25sa mga kalukohan doon sa mga pondo sa DPWH.

03:28But to say na DepEd mismo,

03:31ako tingin ko parang,

03:34at least, no, to my knowledge,

03:35wala ko nakikitang ganyan.

03:37But what probably happens is,

03:40pagpuntad man doon sa DepEd,

03:43I mean, sa DPWH,

03:44eh, meron talaga sigurong mga

03:46paminsa-minsa may himala dyan.

03:49Ngayon, anong papin ngayon ng congressman

03:50pag sa DepEd dyan?

03:51Well, magre-request kami sa DepEd.

03:55Kuminsan, ginagawa ng DepEd,

03:57binibigyan lahat ng distrito

03:58ng at least one or two

04:00small buildings or classrooms,

04:03number of classrooms,

04:04para everybody na tulungan.

04:07And then, yung mga priority nila,

04:09sila na rin ang gumagawa niyan.

04:11So, yan ang situation na,

04:13Tina, sa DepEd.

04:18Pero kung babantayan natin yan,

04:21ang tingin ko,

04:22mas maganda yung paraan na iniisip ngayon, eh.

04:24Kasi, may mga congressman ngayon

04:26na gumagawa ng panukala

04:28na hindi na-exclusive sa DPWH

04:32ang construction work, no?

04:34Na pe-pwedeng ipagawa

04:36ang mga school buildings

04:37sa local governments.

04:39Okay?

04:40Kasi, sa experience ng marami,

04:42mas mabilis yung local governments

04:44at saka,

04:45mas tutok, ano?

04:46Marami nagsasabi,

04:47pag sa local government mo pagawa,

04:49eh, libre yung graba.

04:51Kasi, kukunin lang nila doon.

04:53Hindi kailangan i-haul yan

04:54kung galing saan-saan.

04:56At, siguro,

04:57sa experience na rin ng lahat,

04:58pag ginagawa ng local governments,

05:00mas mabilis.

05:01Kasi,

05:02nandun sila, eh.

05:03Nakatutok, eh.

05:04Hindi, katulad nung sa DPWH,

05:06kukuha pa ng kontratista yun.

05:07Ito, nandun na sila.

05:08At, mabilis nilang pwedeng gawin yan.

05:10So, yan ang isa sa mga panukala

05:12na papasok dito sa budget hearings ng DepEd.

05:15Tingin ko, pag pumasok yan,

05:17magiging malaking diferensa talaga

05:18sa pagtapos ng ating mga

05:21nakukulang na school buildings.

05:24Sir, doon sa nilahad niyo po na sistema,

05:28sinasabi niyo po ba na

05:29imposibleng paghati-hatian ng congressmen

05:33yung pondo sa mga proyekto?

05:36For classrooms?

05:38Classrooms and other infra-projects po.

05:40Hindi, huwag natin iparehas lahat

05:41kasi classrooms muna, no?

05:42Oh, sige.

05:43Classrooms hindi.

05:43Malinawang procedure sa classrooms, eh.

05:46Kailangan nandiyang kasalistahan ng DepEd.

05:48Kailangan na-identify ka sa a place

05:52that really needs classrooms

05:53more than the other places, no?

05:56Tapos, pag, yun na nga,

05:57dito sa mga nakaraan,

05:59pag na-identify na yun,

06:00bawa, pupunta na ito sa antipolo,

06:03mangyayari, pupunta sa DPWH yan.

06:05At DPWH ang co-construct.

06:07So, syempre, maraming priorities

06:09sa DPWH.

06:10Gumagawa rin niya ng tulay,

06:11gumagawa rin niya ng kalye,

06:12gumagawa rin kung ano-ano.

06:14So, pag pumasok bigla yung classroom,

06:15kuminsan, kuminsan,

06:17hindi nabibigyan ng priority

06:18kaya medyo mas tumatagal.

06:20Experience din namin yan, eh.

06:21Pagka, bawa,

06:23DepEd bibigyan ng classrooms,

06:24medyo kuminsan tumatagal, no?

06:26So, kailangan mabantayan yan.

06:28Lahat ng salapinang bayan

06:30dapat bantayan.

06:31Pero ito ba kaiba ito?

06:32Palagay ko, hindi.

06:33Di mo, wala naman tayo naririnig

06:35masyado mga skandalo sa DepEd, eh.

06:37Di ba?

06:37In fairness to everybody

06:39who has been

06:39a secretary of the Department of Education,

06:42by and large,

06:43mataas ang respeto ng tao

06:44sa mga,

06:46kahit sa mga ganyan,

06:47na pro-crimine.

06:48Noon, long, long ago,

06:49may mga problema sa malibro-libro.

06:51Pero,

06:51yung construction school building,

06:53tingin ko,

06:54so far, ha,

06:55they've been able to maintain

06:56a good reputation

06:57and a good job.

06:58As a follow-up to that, sir,

07:00ibig sabihin po,

07:01mas madaling,

07:03mamadjik,

07:04at paghati-hatian ng Kongs

07:06ang pondo kapag

07:07roads, bridges,

07:09flood control projects?

07:12Kasi may presumption

07:14na pinaghahati-hatian ng Kong,

07:15ano?

07:16Eh, ayoko naman,

07:17siguro hindi naman tama

07:18lalahatin natin.

07:19Kumuha ako dyan,

07:20di ang announcement mo.

07:21Sinabi ko,

07:22lahat ng Kong pumapasok sa ganyan.

07:24Hindi naman totoo kasi yun.

07:25Meron din naman siguro

07:26matitinungo sa atin dyan,

07:27kahit na kuminsan

07:29mahirap makita, no?

07:31Pero,

07:32I don't think na

07:34na pwedeng lahatin.

07:37At saka,

07:37hindi lang naman ang,

07:39actually,

07:39ang thesis ko nga,

07:40hindi,

07:41congressman ang problema dito.

07:42Mag-uusapan natin ito sa

07:43next

07:44mga

07:45discussions ko with you, no?

07:48Talagang,

07:48I think it's a problem

07:49of the agency.

07:51Tingin ko,

07:51alam mo,

07:52yung,

07:52yung Department of Public Works

07:54really needs

07:55a complete

07:56overhaul, eh.

07:58Alam mo yan,

07:59yung mga proseso nila,

08:01lahat ng,

08:01ano nila,

08:02sistema nila,

08:02kailangan medyo

08:03pag-aralan,

08:05baguhid.

08:05Yun nga yung direksyon

08:06ng aking

08:06panukalang

08:08investigasyon, eh.

08:09At hindi lang sila,

08:10pati na rin ang DBM.

08:11Pati na rin ang DBM.

08:13So,

08:13ako na,

08:14na-call ang attention ko

08:15sa sinasabi ni

08:16Centor Lakson

08:17na kailangan

08:18hanapin natin na

08:18funders, no?

08:20Sa lub-lubang ko,

08:21eh,

08:21funders,

08:22isa lang mapinanggagalingan

08:23ng pero dito,

08:24DBM, eh.

08:25So, sometime mag-uumpis

08:26sa maghanap ng funders,

08:27eh, di siguro dun.

08:29Hindi ba?

08:31So, ganun.

08:32I think,

08:33I hope that answers

08:34your question.

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