MALACAÑANG has rejected claims by Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte that the city supposedly received “zero budget” from the Marcos administration over the past four years, citing official records showing billions of pesos in national government funding and infrastructure support for the city.
The Palace's response came after Duterte recently claimed in a public statement that Davao City had allegedly been deprived of funding under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration.
“For the information of the public, Davao City has had a zero budget for four years now,” Duterte earlier said while defending flood-control and infrastructure projects in the city.
During a Palace press briefing on Monday, May 25, 2026, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro dismissed the allegation and said records from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed otherwise.
“Kasinungalingan po ang sinasabing zero budget ang Davao City for the past four years,” Castro said.
She added that Davao City continues to receive substantial national government support through infrastructure, health, education, and local development funding.
“Ang Davao City po ay isa sa mga area na talaga pong inaalagaan ng ating administrasyon,” Castro stressed.
According to the Palace, DBM records showed that more than P7.8 billion had been allocated to Davao City from 2023 to 2026 through various funding mechanisms, including the National Tax Allotment (NTA), special shares, fire code fees, and support for infrastructure and public service projects.
The allocations reportedly covered farm-to-market roads, flood-control systems, education facilities, health infrastructure, transportation modernization programs, and other local government support initiatives. Malacañang also noted that Davao City received more than P146 million under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).
The exchange between Duterte and the Palace came amid renewed scrutiny over flood-control projects in Davao City following severe flooding incidents in several barangays earlier this month caused by heavy rains brought by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Authorities also confirmed the collapse of the Callawa Bridge in Barangay Callawa during the flooding.
Duterte earlier defended infrastructure spending in Davao City and rejected accusations of anomalies involving flood-control projects in his district.
He cited Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) records showing that around P49.84 billion worth of infrastructure projects were implemented in Davao City from 2020 to 2022, including roads, bridges, drainage systems, and flood-control structures.
“Flooding is a national problem requiring serious engineering, long-term planning, and cooperation among agencies — not grandstanding before cameras,” Duterte said in an earlier statement defending the projects.
The lawmaker also accused critics of selectively targeting the Duterte family while ignoring broader national controversies involving infrastructure and corruption issues.
Meanwhile, questions surrounding flood-control spending in Davao City have intensified after the Office of the Ombudsman reportedly ordered the submission of records covering 80 flood-control projects along the Davao and Matina rivers implemented from 2019 to 2022.
Former ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio earlier flagged at least P4.35 billion worth of projects in Davao City’s first district as allegedly questionable due to overlapping contracts and insufficient project details, allegations Duterte has strongly denied. DEF
