Signs of the times

EYES WIDE OPEN

- IRIS GONZALES

The weather remains gloomy, but it's heating up in the Senate. Last week, amid the torrential rains, Senate President Chiz Escudero's alleged insertions into the 2025 budget made headlines.

Actually, the 2025 budget had long been signed, but the issue of alleged insertions became a hot item again — perhaps because of the Senate presidency race and, of course, the heavy floods we experienced last week.

A huge part of the insertions — in billions of pesos — was allocated for flood control projects in Bulacan. And yet, parts of Bulacan were once again submerged last week.

Commuters and motorists were stuck for hours, some overnight, along the Bulacan part of the North Luzon Expressway, no thanks to the heavy flooding.

But it's not only Bulacan. Nearly every day last week, Filipinos had to wade through Metro Manila's flooded nooks and crannies and main thoroughfares because of the rains.

Against this backdrop, Escudero's budget insertions raised eyebrows, with returning lawmaker and potential Senate president contender Vicente "Tito" Sotto III vowing to investigate the insertions.

The alleged insertions, Sotto said, include a jaw-dropping P1.1-trillion allocation to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), an amount that exceeds the government's budget for education.

The insertions, first reported by Bilyonaryo and Vera Files, were reportedly sealed behind closed doors in a so-called "small bicam" quietly led by Escudero.

Here are the insertions, according to the documents posted by Vera Files: