The revelations on humongous budget insertions by the Senate and House of Representatives in the 2025 budget is not meant to put anyone on the spot but be a chance for both houses of Congress to heed the public’s outrage against corruption and ensure a pork-free budget for 2026 and beyond, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Tuesday.
Lacson said he explained this to fellow senators in a caucus Monday, where some of them voiced concerns that the revelation over the insertions could affect the institution.
“I can actually feel and understand completely the sentiments expressed by my colleagues, at least the members of the majority bloc during our majority caucus yesterday, so I explained to them that the mention of ‘almost all senators’ was not intended to put them or the whole Senate on the spot, nor did I have the intention of calling them out particularly,” Lacson said.
“The overarching reason for my disclosure or revelation was to point out that we must accept the fact that we are all in crisis owing to the recent anomalies involving the substandard and even ghost flood control projects unearthed in the course of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings and other similar investigations,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson sa mga Kapwa Mambabatas: Pagbubunyag ng Malalaking Budget Insertions, Pampagising Para Alisin ang Pork sa Budget
In an interview on NET25, Lacson said this should also be an opportunity for the Senate to lead the way and set the example for a truly transparent budget.
The clear and overarching message, he stressed, is to avoid or at least minimize the mangling of the national budget bill especially if it means taking away funds from vetted projects – particularly foreign-assisted ones – in favor of “pet projects.”
“Hindi ito patungkol sa tao-tao, maging senador or congressmen. Ito patungkol sa aming lahat, reminder na binabantayan tayo, mag-ingat tayo (This is not about individual senators or congressmen. This is about all of us – a reminder that we must be transparent in doing our jobs because the people are watching us),” he added.
Lacson reiterated his warning that questionable insertions could threaten the economy because the withheld or diverted funds could have gone to infrastructure programs that were planned and vetted at the barangay, city and regional levels.
He added that if local counterpart funds for foreign-assisted projects are cut in favor of such pet projects, it could endanger the project and embarrass the Philippines before its foreign partners.
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Lacson sa mga Kapwa Mambabatas: Pagbubunyag ng Malalaking Budget Insertions, Pampagising Para Alisin ang Pork sa Budget
Ang pagbubunyag sa napakalalaking budget insertions ng Senado at Kamara sa 2025 budget ay hindi para ipahiya ang sinuman kundi pagkakataon para sa dalawang kapulungan ng Kongreso na tugunan ang galit ng taumbayan laban sa katiwalian at tiyakin na ang 2026 budget at ang mga susunod pang taon ay pork-free, ayon kay Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Martes.
Ayon kay Lacson, ipinaliwanag niya ito sa mga kapwa senador sa isang caucus nitong Lunes, kung saan nagpahayag ang ilan sa kanila ng pangamba na maaaring maapektuhan ang institusyon dahil sa pagbubunyag niya tungkol sa insertions.
“I can actually feel and understand completely the sentiments expressed by my colleagues, at least the members of the majority bloc during our majority caucus yesterday, so I explained to them that the mention of ‘almost all senators’ was not intended to put them or the whole Senate on the spot, nor did I have the intention of calling them out particularly,” ani Lacson.
“The overarching reason for my disclosure or revelation was to point out that we must accept the fact that we are all in crisis owing to the recent anomalies involving the substandard and even ghost flood control projects unearthed in the course of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings and other similar investigations,” dagdag niya.
Sa isang panayam sa NET25, sinabi ni Lacson na dapat itong magsilbing pagkakataon para ang Senado ang manguna at magbigay ng halimbawa para sa isang tunay na transparent na budget.
Ang malinaw at pangunahing mensahe, aniya, ay iwasan o di kaya’y bawasan ang pagmamaniobra sa pambansang budget, lalo na kung ang kapalit nito ay ang pagtanggal ng pondo mula sa mga proyektong naaprubahan at sinuri — partikular na ang mga proyektong may foreign assistance — para lamang mapaboran ang mga “pet projects.”
“Hindi ito patungkol sa tao-tao, maging senador or congressmen. Ito patungkol sa aming lahat, reminder na binabantayan tayo, mag-ingat tayo,” dagdag niya.
Muling binalaan ni Lacson na maaaring banta sa ekonomiya ang mga kuwestiyonableng insertions dahil ang mga pondong naisantabi o naiba ang direksyon ay sana’y mapupunta sa mga programang pang-imprastruktura na maingat na pinlano at sinuri sa antas ng barangay, lungsod, at rehiyon.
Dagdag pa niya, kung ang local counterpart funds para sa mga proyektong may foreign assistance ay babawasan para lamang sa mga pet projects, maaari nitong mailagay sa alanganin ang proyekto at magdulot ng kahihiyan sa Pilipinas sa harap ng mga dayuhang katuwang.
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