MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Erwin Tulfo on Sunday pushed for random inspection of government projects by the proposed joint congressional committee to ensure that public money would not be squandered. The senator made the proposal as he backed the creation of a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to monitor the implementation of programs and projects funded under the 2026 General Appropriations Act. “If you will ask me, I would not just rely on the report from the secretary or the directors. We probably really need a person on the ground to conduct random checks," said Tulfo, vice chairman of the Committee on Finance. “For example, is a project really being carried out? We’ve seen how regional directors cover for district engineers and how even secretaries can be involved,” he said in a statement. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law on Jan. 5 the P6.793 trillion 2026 national budget. But he vetoed the P92.5 billion worth of projects under the unprogrammed appropriations. "I agree that both Houses of Congress should have oversight mechanisms—committees—to monitor spending in the 2026 budget," Tulfo said.