SENATE Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Wednesday said he “never requested, held or handled any list of project requests from senators” during his stint as Senate president.
Zubiri issued the statement after former Public Works secretary Manuel Bonoan told the Sandiganbayan Third Division that in 2024, all senators had at least P500 million of allocations for their priority projects in the so-called leadership funds earmarked under the Department of Public Works and Highways budget.
“I refused to handle any such list. No proposed budget amendments passed through our office. The senators are aware of that. All requests are coursed through the Senate Committee on Finance, which oversees the budget process in the Senate,” Zubiri said in a statement.
“With that said, I see nothing wrong with making institutional amendments to support roads, bridges, airports, seaports and other critical infrastructure for far-flung communities, as long as these are requested and approved by the implementing agency, properly carried out and free from any interference driven by personal interests or corruption,” he added.
Zubiri said that almost all legislators, from senators to members of the House of Representatives, introduce amendments to the budget.
“Even former Senate president Franklin Drilon, whose integrity is beyond reproach, helped transform Iloilo City into an internationally renowned megacity through timely institutional amendments in the budget. That is part of our responsibility as legislators: to help bring much-needed development to communities that have long been left be hind,” the senator said.
“Again, I reiterate that there is nothing wrong with institutional amendments, for as long as projects are properly implemented, that they are neither ghost projects nor substandard projects, and that they are devoid of any influence from the proponent legislators that could lead to corruption,” he added.
