Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Thursday evening proposed an “experiment” aiming to prevent a repeat of the corruption that led to the mangling of the 2025 national budget through congressional insertions and realignments.
For the 2026 budget, Lacson proposed that the Senate adopt the National Expenditure Program (NEP) in full, with the assumption that the items in the NEP were fully vetted by the Executive Department.
“For a change, why not have the Senate adopt the NEP so that if there will be problems in implementing projects in 2026, it will be on the executive department,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DZRH radio.
“At least if it’s the NEP, I’m sure the items in it were studied carefully by the implementing agencies concerned,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson, Iminungkahi ang Isang-Taóng ‘Eksperimento’ para Pigilin ang Budget Insertions
Lacson said he is considering moving to adopt the NEP at the briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) later this month.
He noted that the Senate and House of Representatives can both adopt the NEP, then guard the implementation of the projects.
Year in and year out, Lacson had called out questionable insertions and realignments by both houses of Congress in the budget bill.
“This will be a one-year experiment. If it fails, we go back to the realignment,” he added.
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Lacson, Iminungkahi ang Isang-Taóng ‘Eksperimento’ para Pigilin ang Budget Insertions
Iminungkahi ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Huwebes ng gabi ang isang “eksperimento” na layong maiwasan ang pag-uulit ng katiwaliang nagresulta sa pagkakabaluktot ng 2025 national budget dahil sa congressional insertions at realignments.
Para sa 2026 budget, iminungkahi ni Lacson na i-adopt ng Senado nang buo ang National Expenditure Program (NEP), sa paniwalang masusing sinuri na ito ng Executive Department.
“Pwedeng for a change, ang Senate i-adopt na natin ang NEP, madali pa trabaho natin para everything is on the executive. Pag nagkaloko-loko ang implementation ng project sa 2026, kasalanan na ng executive,” aniya sa isang panayam sa DZRH radio.
“At least kung nasa NEP I’m sure napagaralan na maski papano ng implementing agencies kasi sila ang magsa-submit,” dagdag pa niya.
Sinabi ni Lacson na ikinokonsidera niyang isulong ang panukalang pag-adopt ng NEP sa briefing ng Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) sa mga darating na linggo.
Binigyang-diin niya na maaaring parehong i-adopt ng Senado at Kamara ang NEP, at sabay na bantayan ang implementasyon ng mga proyekto.
Taon-taon, paulit-ulit nang tinutuligsa ni Lacson ang mga kuwestiyonableng insertions at realignments ng parehong kapulungan ng Kongreso sa budget bill.
“Parang experiment lang isang taon lang. Kung hindi success, e di balik tayo sa realignment,” dagdag pa niya.
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