Politics · Philippines Bureau
Palace denies P180M evacuation fund allocation tied to campaign spending
Malacañang has dismissed allegations that the government's uniform P180-million allocation for evacuation centers across 17 regions could be diverted for political campaign purposes ahead of the 2028 presidential elections.
LSN Philippines ·
The Palace rejected concerns that the uniform P180-million evacuation fund allocation per region could be weaponized for campaign purposes, according to Palace press officer Claire Castro on Thursday. The allocation, distributed equally across the country's 17 regions, is intended solely to support evacuation center operations and disaster response infrastructure, officials said.
Castro assured the public that the government has implemented safeguards to prevent any misuse of the evacuation funds for political activities. The uniform distribution was designed to ensure equitable disaster preparedness capacity across all regions, regardless of political affiliation, she added.
The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny of government spending as the nation approaches the 2028 elections. Opposition figures and civil society groups have previously raised questions about the transparency and allocation of large-scale government programs during election years.
Disaster management officials emphasized that the evacuation fund represents critical infrastructure investment needed for the country's typhoon season and other natural calamities. The standardized regional allocation aims to strengthen emergency response capabilities uniformly nationwide, they said.