By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has flatly denied accusing Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Edgar “Egay” Erice of facing zero infrastructure funding because of his criticisms of the administration, saying public projects must be determined by need—not political pressure.
Erice had claimed in a television interview that Dizon supposedly threatened to give his congressional district “zero” funding after he criticized the administration.
Dizon rejected the allegation Tuesday during the Palace briefing, saying he does not threaten lawmakers and that infrastructure spending should be guided by the needs of communities.
“Hindi ako nagbabanta kahit kanino. At ang sabi ng Pangulo natin, ang budget natin base sa pangangailangan ng mga kababayan natin, iyon ang ginagawa natin,” Dizon said.
The public works chief also warned that the government is tightening the standards for projects to be included in the 2027 national budget.
According to Dizon, infrastructure proposals must meet the required conditions and undergo coordination with the concerned local government units before funding can be released.
“Kung incomplete ang requirement, sorry, hindi mapopondohan ang mga proyekto ninyo,” he said.
Dizon stressed that failure to secure funding should not automatically be interpreted as political retaliation, saying projects must first satisfy the government’s requirements.
Rather than allow the dispute to escalate through public statements, Dizon said he intends to personally reach out to Erice to clarify what was actually said.
“Pero wala, walang pagbanta. And I will personally reach out to Congressman Erice and to all other members of Congress if need be, kung mayroong ganoong mga sinasabi,” Dizon said.
The secretary also reiterated that he is prepared to communicate directly with lawmakers who have concerns over infrastructure allocations.
Erice earlier said his district had not received funding for infrastructure projects for about a year and claimed Dizon had supposedly told him that his district would receive nothing.
The Palace has also rejected Erice’s allegation, while the lawmaker has continued to raise questions about the administration.
Erice recently criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s remarks concerning former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, suggesting that the President’s statements about possible imprisonment were primarily intended for political optics.
Dizon, however, maintained that infrastructure allocations should be insulated from threats and political considerations.
The secretary’s planned meeting with Erice could now provide an opportunity to settle the dispute directly—and determine whether the alleged “zero allocation” warning was ever made or was simply a misunderstanding over the government’s stricter funding requirements.
ia/xf
