KABATAAN  Partylist challenged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prove his promise of realigning flood control funds toward social services by fully restoring the 2026 budgets of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) suffering from steep funding cuts.

“If Marcos Jr. is serious about realigning budgets from flood control to social services, he should start with our public universities,” said Kabataan Rep. and Assistant Minority Leader Atty. Renee Co.

“Twenty-six SUCs are facing budget cuts, and even those with supposed ‘increases’ remain severely underfunded. The gap between what they requested and what they received for 2026 is still enormous,” she added.

Co expressed skepticism about the administration’s sincerity, citing a pattern of unfulfilled promises.

“We’ve heard these pledges before, only to be disappointed again and again. We cannot simply trust sweet words from an administration that has consistently prioritized infrastructure over education and social services,” she said.

The youth lawmaker also stressed that budget realignments are not enough, demanding accountability for alleged anomalies in flood control and infrastructure projects.

“Up to now, no one has been held accountable or jailed for the corruption in these projects. Stolen funds must be returned and corrupt officials punished,” Co asserted.

“Prove your sincerity, Mr. President. Fully fund all SUCs, hold corrupt officials accountable, shut down every scheme of plunder, and return the people’s stolen money. Can you do this?” Co challenged.