Deputy Speaker and National Unity Party (NUP) chairman Ronaldo “Ronnie” V. Puno has filed a resolution in the House of Representatives seeking an investigation into the alleged “funders” or sponsors of anomalous and fictitious construction projects under the proposed 2025 national budget.

In House Resolution No. 201 filed on August 27, Puno urged the chamber to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation to determine not only the identities of those behind questionable public works projects but also the role of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in releasing or withholding funds. He said recent findings point to systemic corruption in the budgeting process.

The resolution cited “credible reports and legislative inquiries” by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that uncovered irregularities in government-funded infrastructure projects. These include so-called “ghost” or non-existent projects, padded costs, and possible collusion among contractors.

Puno also referenced Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s privilege speech in the Senate, which detailed what he described as “systemic and institutionalized impunity” in the handling of flood control projects. According to Lacson, multiple appropriations carried coded but identical amounts—₱77 million, ₱48 million, and ₱96 million—suggesting deliberate manipulation. He also pointed to overpricing in Pampanga and La Union, as well as ghost projects in Mindoro and Bulacan.

“The anomalies exposed are not isolated incidents but signs of a deeply entrenched machinery siphoning public funds while leaving flood-prone communities unprotected,” Puno stressed in the resolution.

The lawmaker further noted that the DBM itself admitted during recent budget hearings that some funds, particularly those tied to congressional insertions, were deliberately withheld for later release pending certain conditions. This, he said, reinforces the need for transparency since billions of pesos can be shifted without the public knowing which projects are being funded.

“When billions are moved in and out of the budget without clarity, accountability collapses and public trust erodes,” Puno said, adding that ghost projects and coded allocations are “clear red flags of corruption that demand immediate scrutiny.”

House Resolution 201 calls for an inquiry into the funders of fictitious projects and the DBM’s role in classifying appropriations as “For Later Release.” Puno’s NUP, the second-largest political party in the House with 44 members, is expected to rally support for the probe as the chamber begins deliberations on the 2025 national budget.