Lacson: Budget Transparency Efforts Must Continue Despite ‘Birth Pains’

Despite “birth pains” in the form of stalemates in the bicameral conference committee meetings on the 2026 budget bill, lawmakers must press on with their efforts to ensure transparency, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.

Lacson also stressed that Filipinos – and not just lawmakers – must make sure the bitter lessons from the anomalous flood control project scandal are not repeated if the country is to recover and move forward.

“Unprecedented ito. Pinaguusapan nga namin kahapon. Sabi ko kay Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, alam mo itong nangyaring deadlock at usaping ganyan, birth pains ito kasi di pa nangyari ang ganito ka-transparent especially ang bicam. Kasi alam natin ang kalakaran noong nakaraan. So birth pains ito (What we experienced has been unprecedented. We talked about this Tuesday and I told Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian that the deadlocks are part of the birth pains because we haven’t been this transparent especially in the bicam. And we know what took place in past years. So this is part of birth pains),” he said in an interview on DZRH radio.

“Ito ang pagkakataon para ireporma natin ang budgeting system natin. Kung di pa tayo uusad after itong napakasakit na experience sa flood control project scandal, wala na talaga tayong pagasa (This is our chance to reform our budgeting system. If we cannot learn from the painful experience from the flood control project scandal, then we are hopeless),” he added, in a separate interview on DZBB radio.

In Filipino: Lacson: Transparency sa Badyet, Dapat Ipagpatuloy sa Kabila ng ‘Birth Pains’

During the bicam meetings, the bicameral conference committee increased the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP)’s 2026 budget to P51 billion, and provided P33 billion for farm-to-market roads.

Lacson voiced concern the MAIFIP would open the door to political patronage unless safeguards are put in place. He also cited the findings of Sen. Francis Pangilinan that at least P8 billion worth of farm-to-market roads were not properly identified or even revised from what the Senate approved on third reading – having no grid coordinates and project descriptions.

The stalemates also led to the possibility of the 2025 budget being reenacted at least for the first month of 2026. Lacson said that while a reenacted budget for one month or one quarter could be “understandable,” having a reenacted budget for a whole semester is harmful.

“Ang masama kung whole year o one semester kasi lump sum ang lahat na 2025 budget kung magkano ang total kasi walang items, wala pa ang 2026 (It would be very bad if we go a half year with a reenacted budget because it is basically a lump sum without items),” he said.

For the 2026 budget, Lacson said the Senate side has put in place its “non-negotiable” safeguards to prevent the abuse of public funds.

These include absolutely no guarantee letters for MAIFIP, where even medical missions are prone to corruption as MAIFIP funds are sometimes offered to doctors who take part in such missions.

Another is an “anti-epal” general provision in the budget bill barring political exploitation or manipulation of MAIFIP and other aid programs, which is in line with Lacson’s Senate Bill 31, the Expanded Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act of 2025 that penalizes political exploitation and manipulation of the programs in any shape or form, and puts in place institutional support to ensure proper implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Under Lacson’s bill, those involved in political exploitation and manipulation of the assistance provided under Pantawid Pag-Asa will suffer perpetual absolute disqualification from holding public office.

“Same page na kami dito. Ito ang pagkakataon para ireporma natin ang budgeting system natin (We’re on the same page. This is our chance to reform our budgeting system),” Lacson said of him and his fellow senators.

Lacson also noted one main transparency measure is the livestreaming of the proceedings, including the bicameral conference committee proceedings, which the public can watch and track amendments proposed by lawmakers.

“Ang oversight hindi lang ang mga mambabatas ang involved, pati kababayan natin, mga ordinary mamamayan, pwede mag-oversight (Oversight will not just involve lawmakers. Even ordinary Filipinos can now exercise oversight),” he said.

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Lacson: Transparency sa Badyet, Dapat Ipagpatuloy sa Kabila ng ‘Birth Pains’

Sa kabila ng mga “birth pains” na dulot ng mga deadlock sa bicameral conference committee meetings kaugnay ng 2026 budget bill, iginiit ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Miyerkules na kailangang ipagpatuloy ng mga mambabatas ang pagsisikap na tiyakin ang transparency sa proseso ng pagbubuo ng badyet.

Binigyang-diin din ni Lacson na dapat tiyakin ng mga Pilipino — hindi lamang ang mga mambabatas — na hindi na mauulit ang mapapait na aral mula sa anomalya sa mga flood control projects upang tunay na makabangon at umusad ang bansa.

“Unprecedented ito. Pinaguusapan nga namin kahapon. Sabi ko kay Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, alam mo itong nangyaring deadlock at usaping ganyan, birth pains ito kasi di pa nangyari ang ganito ka-transparent especially ang bicam. Kasi alam natin ang kalakaran noong nakaraan. So birth pains ito,” ani Lacson sa isang panayam sa DZRH radio.

“Ito ang pagkakataon para ireporma natin ang budgeting system natin. Kung di pa tayo uusad after itong napakasakit na experience sa flood control project scandal, wala na talaga tayong pagasa,” dagdag niya sa hiwalay na panayam sa DZBB radio.

Sa mga bicam meeting para sa 2026 budget, itinaas ng bicameral conference committee ang Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) sa ₱51 bilyon, at naglaan ng ₱33 bilyon para sa farm-to-market roads.

Nagpahayag ng pangamba si Lacson na maaaring maging daan ang MAIFIP sa political patronage kung walang sapat na safeguards. Tinukoy rin niya ang mga natuklasan ni Sen. Francis Pangilinan na hindi bababa sa ₱8 bilyong halaga ng farm-to-market roads ang hindi maayos na natukoy o kahit na-revise mula sa mga proyektong inaprubahan ng Senado sa ikatlong pagbasa — walang grid coordinates o malinaw na project descriptions.

Dahil sa mga deadlock, umusbong din ang posibilidad na ma-reenact ang 2025 budget kahit sa unang buwan ng 2026. Ayon kay Lacson, maaaring “understandable” ang reenacted budget sa loob ng isang buwan o isang quarter, ngunit makasasama kung tatagal ito ng isang semestre.

“Ang masama kung whole year o one semester kasi lump sum ang lahat na 2025 budget kung magkano ang total kasi walang items, wala pa ang 2026,” aniya.

Para sa 2026 budget, iginiit ni Lacson na naglatag na ang panig ng Senado ng mga “non-negotiable” na safeguards upang maiwasan ang pag-abuso sa pondo ng bayan.

Kabilang dito ang ganap na pagbabawal sa guarantee letters para sa MAIFIP, kung saan maging ang mga medical mission ay maaaring maging bukas sa katiwalian dahil minsan ay inaalok ang pondo ng MAIFIP sa mga doktor na kalahok dito.

Isa pa ang “anti-epal” na general provision sa budget bill na nagbabawal sa political exploitation o manipulasyon ng MAIFIP at iba pang aid programs. Ito ay kaayon ng Senate Bill 31 ni Lacson — ang Expanded Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act of 2025 — na nagpaparusa sa anumang uri ng political exploitation at manipulasyon ng mga programa, at naglalatag ng institutional support para sa maayos na implementasyon, monitoring, at evaluation.

Sa ilalim ng panukalang batas ni Lacson, ang mga sangkot sa political exploitation at manipulasyon ng tulong sa ilalim ng Pantawid Pag-Asa ay papatawan ng perpetual absolute disqualification mula sa paghawak ng anumang posisyon sa gobyerno.

“Same page na kami dito. Ito ang pagkakataon para ireporma natin ang budgeting system natin,” sinabi ni Lacson kaugnay ng pagkakaisa nila ng kanyang mga kapwa senador.

Binanggit din ni Lacson na mahalagang hakbang sa transparency ang livestreaming ng mga pagdinig, kabilang ang bicameral conference committee proceedings, upang masubaybayan ng publiko ang mga panukala at amendment ng mga mambabatas.

“Ang oversight hindi lang ang mga mambabatas ang involved, pati kababayan natin, mga ordinary mamamayan, pwede mag-oversight,” aniya.

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