Ateneo School of Government Demands Full Accountability in Budget Diversion Scandal

Amid mounting public concern over a corruption scandal involving budget misallocation, the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) has urged for thorough accountability from lawmakers, the Executive branch, and auditing bodies.

In an official statement, Ateneo emphasized the need for the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to expand its inquiry to include prominent figures such as former Senate President Francis Escudero, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and other relevant officials and entities connected to the controversy.

ASoG further called for the probe to encompass current Senate and House Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Finance and Appropriations Committees, along with their technical staff, to ensure all responsible parties are held accountable.

Highlighting concerns over unchecked budgetary decisions, the group urged the ICI to question Executive Secretary Lucas and members of the Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC) on the substantial budget cuts and reallocations that occurred from 2023 to 2025. Ateneo expressed dismay over the lack of intervention or objection from the Executive Branch during these reallocations.

In addition, Ateneo urged a closer examination of the Commission on Audit (COA) for its "failure to ensure responsible use of public funds."

Previously, ASoG had raised alarms over the disproportionate budget allocation in the 2025 spending plan, where the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has received a flood management budget exceeding that of the entire education sector, which contradicts the Constitutional mandate.

The group questioned, "Are flood control projects, which make up 22% of the DPWH budget, more important than addressing the 160,000 classroom backlog and the dilapidated condition of 70% of existing classrooms?"

ASoG also criticized the significant budget reductions for critical agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), PhilHealth, Health, and Education. Meanwhile, billions were diverted to cash assistance initiatives like AKAP, AICS, MAIFP, and TUPAD.

The statement cautioned that in 2025, these social programs received a total budget of ₱130 billion but warned that increasing political control over project selection, beneficiary distribution, and fund allocation is shifting social services from a right to a matter dependent on political patronage or "utang na loob."

The Ateneo School of Government calls on all relevant bodies to enforce transparency and accountability to safeguard the integrity of public funds, especially in crucial sectors like education and health.