The allocation of funds for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects is a function of the executive, not the legislature or the House of Representatives.

House Majority Leader Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos highlighted this point as he addressed a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) report on the supposed huge DPWH project "allocables" that went to his district and that of former House Speaker Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez.

"Number one, that was an initiative of the executive, meaning wala po kinalaman ang congressman, wala po kinalaman ang legislative sa pag-allocate na kahit ano man na amount doon (meaning the congressman had nothing to do with it, the legislature had nothing to do with allocating any amount there)," Marcos said.

The Presidential son explained that solons have no direct involvement in the allocation of any amount under the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

The NEP, which emanates from Malacañang, is the precursor of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), or the proposed budget measure every year. It's the House of Representatives' task to craft the GAB, based on the details of the NEP.

"Bilang isang mababatas, bilang isang tao na kung ang kanyang trabaho na ipaglaban ang kailangan ng kanyang distrito (As a lawmaker, as a person whose duty is to fight for the needs of his district), my mayors, my constituents, my baranggay captains come to me with priority projects all the time and it is my job to forward those projects where necessary," Marcos said.

"But it is the prerogative of the executive as to where those funds go when the NEP arrives into congress," he underscored.

As to the figures cited in the PCIJ report, the majority leader told reporters that it was better to confer with the DPWH about them.

"So with regards to that, you will probably have to ask the DPWH. But again, it is the job of a congressman to fight for the projects in their district to make sure that the constituents are well taken care of and that their priorities are met and received."

Marcos continued: "With regards to the accusation that it is what you call 'soft pork', the definition of pork is a lump sum amount that is given to someone and they can do with it as they please."

He noted that the 2026 national budget worth P6.793 trillion simply does not have any discretionary funds, or pork.

"When you look at the budget po, line item po yan per amount basis (that is listed on a line item per amount basis). So it is projects that are accounted for. So that's what I will say in that regard," he said.

The 2026 budget--which featured the first ever livesteamed Bicameral Conference Committee hearings--is considered to be one of the most open and transparent in Congress' history.