DPWH Usec Emissary Linked to Alleged Early Budget Insertion Offers

Manila, Philippines — An emissary allegedly representing Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral has been implicated in early offers of budget insertions for the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), according to revelations made by Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and confirmed by Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III.

The Alleged Offer

Lacson disclosed that after the May 12 senatorial elections, Sotto’s staff received a call from someone identifying herself as “Undersecretary Cabral.” The caller allegedly asked which projects they wanted to insert into the 2026 NEP.

“I’ll just say it: supposedly, ‘Undersecretary Cabral’ called his (Sotto’s) staff and said, insert whatever you want. If Senator Sotto was offered that, who else was offered and who actually submitted?” Lacson said.

Sotto’s Clarification: The Emissary

Sotto confirmed that the approach was made but clarified that he never directly spoke with Cabral. Instead, he was contacted through an emissary acting on behalf of the undersecretary.

“Senator Lacson’s story is correct. Someone reached out to me asking if I was interested in submitting for the NEP,” Sotto said.

However, he added: “It was not Cabral herself that I spoke with, but her emissary. That was what was relayed to me.”

Questionable Budget Entries

Lacson further revealed that the 2026 NEP was already being drafted even before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. criticized lawmakers for alleged budget manipulations during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28.

He noted that the budget call began in January 2025 and likely wrapped up by June, to allow submission to Congress within 30 days of the SONA.

The senator also uncovered what he described as “hundreds of distinct entries,” including 660 items of the same project, each worth ₱100 million, but without clear location or description.

Cabral’s Position

According to the DPWH website, Maria Catalina E. Cabral currently serves as Undersecretary for Planning, Public-Private Partnership, and Information Management Services.

As of press time, neither Cabral nor the DPWH has issued a public statement on the allegations involving the purported emissary.