Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin pushed back against accusations hurled at his party-mate Rep. Zaldy Co, saying the real issue lies in the budget insertions of Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco and controversial contractors in the latter’s district.
Garbin revealed that Tiangco had P529 million worth of insertions in the 2025 budget, 65 to 70 percent of which went to flood control projects in Navotas.
“Why attack others when contractors in your own district are being investigated for ghost projects?” Garbin asked, referring to St. Timothy and SYMS Trading Construction.
Both firms, he said, are under scrutiny by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as well as the Senate and Congress.
Garbin said the DPWH even wrote to Tiangco seeking assistance in implementing the St. Timothy flood control repairs project, indicating that funds for these were not only approved but released.
“When you speak of transparency, start with your own backyard,” he stressed.
The controversy comes amid renewed debates over “insertions” in the national budget.
Critics say these allocations, often inserted during deliberations, have historically been linked to questionable projects.
Past Commission on Audit (COA) reports revealed irregular spending on flood control programs, amounting to billions of pesos, some traced to “ghost” or non-existent projects.
Garbin said that while Tiangco continues to question allocations tied to Ako Bicol, his own insertions were disbursed swiftly and awarded to contractors now facing scrutiny.
“We’re not saying all his contracts are anomalous, but due diligence should have warned him about red flags,” he stressed.
The party-list lawmaker also noted Tiangco’s political frustrations, citing failed attempts to secure top posts in the House.
“Maybe this is where all his anger is coming from,” Garbin said.
He also pointed out that the Supreme Court is currently hearing a case on the legality of budget insertions, a matter covered by the sub judice rule.
Despite this, Garbin said he was compelled to respond due to Tiangco’s repeated insinuations.
For his part, Tiangco said he could not have made any insertion in the budget because he was not a member of the bicameral conference committee.
He pointed out that the P529 million earmarked for his district was the amount approved in the Bicam from the requests made for additional funding.
Earlier this week, tensions rose between Tiangco and Deputy Speaker Janette Garin after the former questioned why Co, a sitting congressman, could not testify under oath.
Garin then urged colleagues not to make the probe “personal” and instead focus on rooting out anomalous budget insertions.
She tried to defuse the situation by saying, “Putulin ang ugat, para hindi na maulit [Let us nip it in the bud, so it won’t happen again].”
