Transparency in Action: Lacson Encourages Public to Check 2026 Budget Bill on Senate Website

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Saturday encouraged the public to see how the Senate put transparency in action in its version of the P6.793-trillion proposed national budget by visiting the Senate website.

Lacson said the Budget Transparency Portal reflects the reforms undertaken by the Senate in the budget process, including livestreaming the proceedings from committee hearings to the floor deliberations.

“Overall, the crafting of the budget in the Senate was very good. I would encourage you, the public, to check the Senate website. You will see the individual amendments of each senator. Everything is on record, unlike before when we cannot trace who made what amendment because the amendments were merely whispered to the committee chairman,” he said in FIlipino in an interview on DZMM radio.

In Filipino: Transparency in Action: Lacson, Hinikayat ang Publiko na Suriin ang 2026 Budget Bill sa Website ng Senado

The Senate website contains the livestream videos of the deliberations, while the budget portal (budget-transparency-portal.senate.gov.ph) contains additional details including documents and transcripts of the hearings.

Lacson said the Senate, which is set to approve the budget bill on third reading this coming week, is prepared to maintain this transparency in the bicameral conference committee.

“Hopefully the Senate will stand its ground. The bicam is a give-and-take matter but this time, we will limit our discussions to what is contained in the Senate and House versions of the budget bill. And we will livestream the proceedings so there will be no chance for secret deals,” he said.

He also reiterated that such transparency will encourage a sense of responsibility and accountability among those proposing amendments to the bill, since items that turn out to be substandard or ghost could be traced back to them.

“Even on matters of oversight, lawmakers who proposed amendments will guard the implementation because they will be held accountable if something goes wrong with the project,” he added.

Lacson also said he hopes lawmakers learn from the flood control scandal now that many of them face charges or jail over anomalous projects.

Allocables Removed Amid ‘Resistance’

In separate interviews on One News and DWAN late Friday, Lacson said they removed allocables – the so-called new pork barrel – from the Senate version of the budget bill despite some “resistance.”

He said the Senate has also removed “ayuda” and other items involving political patronage from the items to be funded by unprogrammed appropriations.

Lacson, a vocal enemy of the pork barrel system, earlier described allocables as the new pork barrel because they allow funding for projects before they are even identified – opening the door for other abuses such as rigged bidding for contracts benefiting favored players.

He also disclosed that the Senate majority bloc, while tackling the budget measure, received information that some lawmakers – including senators – are insisting on their “individual amendments” to the bill.

But he said this was settled after the senators approved the budget bill – without the allocables – on second reading last Dec. 4. The bill is set for third-reading approval this coming week.

“We are already in reform mode, then this still happens – some suggesting that if the House will have allocables, so should the Senate. It’s very bad,” he said in Filipino on One News, recalling his discussion with fellow Senate leaders on the matter.

Lacson noted that had the resistance persisted, he would have called on the majority bloc to support Gatchalian by voting on amendments if it comes to that.

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Transparency in Action: Lacson, Hinikayat ang Publiko na Suriin ang 2026 Budget Bill sa Website ng Senado

Hinikayat ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ang publiko nitong Sabado na tingnan kung paano pinairal ng Senado ang transprarency sa bersyon nito ng P6.793-trilyong panukalang pambansang budget para sa 2026, sa pamamagitan ng pagbisita sa website ng Senado.

Ani Lacson, makikita sa Senate website ang mga repormang ipinatupad ng Senado sa proseso ng budget, kabilang ang pagli-livestream ng mga pagdinig mula sa antas ng komite hanggang sa plenary deliberations.

“Sa pangkalahatan, maganda ang kinalabasan ng budget as far as the Senate. I would encourage you, pati ang ating mga kababayan, check ninyo ang website ng Senado. Makikita ninyo lahat doon, pati ang individual amendment ng bawat senador kasi naka-record lahat yan, hindi tulad dati bulung brigade sulat lang, walang maituturo kung sino ang nag-insert o nag-amend sa iba’t ibang ahensya,” giit ni Lacson sa panayam sa DZMM.

Naglalaman ang website ng Senado (senate.gov.ph) ng mga livestream video ng deliberations, habang ang budget portal (budget-transparency-portal.senate.gov.ph) ay may dagdag na detalye gaya ng mga dokumento at transcript ng mga pagdinig.

Giit ni Lacson na ang Senado, na inaasahang mag-aapruba ng budget bill sa ikatlong pagbasa sa darating na linggo, ay handang panatilihin ang transparency na ito sa bicameral conference committee.

“Sana ang Senado, we stand our ground. Sana ganun ang mangyari. Ang bicam bigayan din yan. Pero ang maganda ngayon ililimit namin kung ano sa Senate and House versions, yan ang paguusapan namin. At di pwede ang tago-tago, ila-livestream namin ang paguusap,” aniya.

Dagdag niya, ang ganitong transparency ay magtutulak ng pananagutan sa mga nagmumungkahi ng amendments, dahil ang mga item na lalabas na substandard o ghost ay madaling matutunton kung kanino galing.

“Sa oversight babantayan mo yan kasi ikaw nag-amend. pag-implement ng proyekto kailangan bantayan mo kung hindi pwede ka mabweltahan doon,” dagdag niya.

Umaasa rin si Lacson na madala na ang mga mambabatas matapos ang flood control scandal, lalo na ngayon na marami sa kanila ang nahaharap sa kaso o posibleng makulong dahil sa mga kuwestiyonableng proyekto.

Tinanggal ang ‘Allocables’ sa Kabila ng ‘Pagtutol’

Sa magkakahiwalay na panayam sa One News at DWAN noong Biyernes, sinabi ni Lacson na inalis ang “allocables” — ang itinuturing na bagong pork barrel — sa Senate version ng budget bill sa kabila ng ilang pagtutol.

Aniya, inalis din ng Senado ang “ayuda” at iba pang item na may bahid ng political patronage mula sa mga dapat pondohan sa unprogrammed appropriations.

Bilang matagal nang kritiko ng pork barrel system, inilarawan ni Lacson ang allocables bilang bagong anyo ng pork dahil nagbibigay ito ng pondo para sa mga proyektong hindi pa man nakikilala — na nagbubukas ng pinto sa pang-aabuso tulad ng rigged bidding pabor sa ilang manlalaro.

Ibinunyag din niya na habang tinatalakay ang budget measure, may natanggap na impormasyon ang Senate majority bloc na ilang mambabatas — kasama na ang ilang senador — ay iginigiit ang kanilang “individual amendments.”

Ngunit naresolba ito matapos aprubahan ng mga senador ang budget bill — na wala nang allocables — sa second reading noong Disyembre 4. Inaasahan itong maaprubahan sa third reading ngayong linggo.

“Nasa reform mode na nga tayo, tapos meron pa ring ganyan. Parang parinig na kung ano meron sa House, dapat meron din tayo. E di maganda pakinggan yan,” aniya sa One News, habang inaalala ang naging pag-uusap nila ng iba pang Senate leaders.

Aniya, kung nagpatuloy ang “gusot,” mananawagan siya sa majority bloc upang suportahan si Gatchalian sa botohan sakaling umabot doon.

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