Marcos ‘shocked’ at scrapping LGU signoff rule in projects under Duterte

Metro Manila, Philippines - President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he was “shocked” to learn that a long-standing mechanism requiring local government units (LGUs) to inspect and approve completed national government projects was scrapped during the Duterte administration.

In a recent podcast interview, Marcos said the process was a critical safeguard to check quality control in public works and prevent the release of payments for substandard or fraudulent projects.

“Apparently, in the last administration, they removed that entirely,” Marcos said. “I was shocked because this is standard procedure. You don’t even think about this anymore.”

Under the old system, local executives were required to inspect and sign an “acceptance” form for completed projects before contractors could receive payment. Marcos said this practice was a critical step in accountability and allowed local officials to demand remedial measures if work was below standard.

“When I was in local government, the national government would come in to do a project,” he said. “When they finished, they would come back to the LGU and say, ‘We’re done.’ We would inspect, and if the work wasn’t right, we wouldn’t sign the acceptance. Until the local government signed, the contractor couldn’t be paid.”

Marcos said he intends to restore the inspection mechanism as part of broader reforms to improve transparency and project quality.

The administration has cracked down on alleged irregularities in public infrastructure spending, including so-called “ghost” flood control projects that were exposed in the State of the Nation Address.

“The scale of corruption was shocking,” Marcos said. “Nothing will happen to the Philippines if we carry on this way. The economy will never grow properly, people won’t get the help they need, schools and hospitals won’t get better. We will not get anywhere.”

He said accountability should not come at the expense of due process.

“We have to prove it. We don’t want to go after people who are innocent,” he said. “If we are going to punish these people, we have to be very clear about what we are doing, and make sure we go after the guilty ones.”

Marcos recently ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to realign around ₱255.5 billion in flood control funds in the 2026 budget to other priority sectors, including education, health, and social welfare.

“This doesn’t mean we are giving up on infrastructure,” he said. “We cannot stop that because if we stop, the economy will stop. But we need to make sure every centavo of public funds benefits Filipinos.”

Marcos said mechanisms such as LGU inspections, strict compliance with rules, and transparent auditing are essential to restoring public trust in government projects.