Cabinet officials will not be exempt from anti-graft and corruption investigations if evidence links them to alleged budget irregularities, Malacañang said Sunday, emphasizing that accountability applies to all public officials regardless of rank.
Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro made the statement in response to claims that several Cabinet members were behind billions of pesos in alleged budget insertions for 2025, an accusation earlier raised by Senator Panfilo Lacson based on the so-called “Cabral files.”
Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has been firm in his stance that anyone proven to be involved in wrongdoing must be held accountable.
“Anyone among the Cabinet members who may be involved and for whom there is evidence should continue to be investigated to identify the real culprit,” Castro said in a text message to reporters.
She added that the President will not protect anyone found to be truly involved.
“The President has said that whoever it may be must be held accountable if they are truly involved,” Castro said.
However, Castro noted that the issue is already under the jurisdiction of appropriate investigative bodies, including the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
She also urged individuals who claim to have evidence to formally submit it to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, the Ombudsman, or the DOJ.
Lacson earlier alleged that at least five Cabinet officials had “allocables,” or allocations, amounting to billions of pesos in the proposed 2025 national budget.
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