Malacañang has dismissed claims by Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte that the city received “zero budget” from the Marcos administration over the past four years, citing official records that show billions of pesos in national funding and infrastructure support.
The Palace responded after Duterte recently alleged in a public statement that Davao City had 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 said while defending flood-control and infrastructure projects in the city.
During a Palace press briefing on Monday, May 25, 2026, Press Officer Claire Castro refuted the allegation, stating that records from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) prove otherwise. “Kasinungalingan po ang sinasabing zero budget ang Davao City for the past four years,” Castro said. She emphasized 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 show that more than P7.8 billion was allocated to Davao City from 2023 to 2026 through various 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 comes amid renewed scrutiny over flood-control projects in Davao City following severe flooding in several barangays earlier this month caused by heavy rains from 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.
