Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Wednesday rebutted claims of an alleged P17.9-billion pork barrel fund for the Senate in the 2026 budget bill, saying these are actually realignments to increase the subsistence allowance of uniformed personnel.
Lacson said the claims of “Senate pork” made by Rep. Antonio Tinio smacked either of “trabahong tamad (lazy work)” or a malicious attempt to destabilize the Senate.
“The ‘Senate pork’ referred to by Rep. Tinio are actually realignments to increase the subsistence allowance of the uniformed personnel from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and Bureau of Fire Protection and also the Philippine Coast Guard,” Lacson stressed.
“Rep. Tinio is either too lazy to do his research, or he is malevolently destabilizing the Senate to take the heat off the House of Representatives,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson: Walang “Senate Pork,” Pondo para Pataasin ang Subsistence Allowance ng Uniformed Services
On Sunday, Lacson had said he would not sign to ratify the bicam report on the 2026 budget bill unless the provisions granting the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) a massive budget increase and allocating billions for potentially unvetted farm-to-market roads are corrected. The House contingent had requested to raise the MAIFIP budget to P51 billion.
Tinio was quoted in reports Tuesday as saying the Senate had an alleged ₱17.9-billion “LGU pork” in its version of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
Also, Tinio alleged that the Senate version had massive cuts to benefits for rank-and-file government employees, which was then realigned to “discretionary pork barrel funds for Local Government Units (LGUs).”
“Gusto kong i-clarify mali ang sinasabi niya. Ang line na kinuha sa MPBF o Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund, realign talaga yan pero sa additional subsistence allowance ng uniformed personnel (I want to clarify that what Tinio said was wrong. The amount was realigned from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund but went to the additional subsistence allowance of uniformed personnel),” Lacson said in an interview on DZBB radio.
He also pointed out this was an institutional amendment, with the proponent not standing to gain from it.
Lacson reiterated as well that his and the Senate’s commitment to keep the budget process transparent.
He renewed his call to the media and the public to stay vigilant to prevent manipulations in the budget bill, especially now that the proceedings in the bicameral conference committee are being livestreamed.
“All our (Senate) amendments are institutional and openly proposed on the Senate floor during the period of individual amendments,” he said.
“Everything was transcribed and is now part of the Senate records for all future generations of senators to see,” he added.
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Lacson: Walang “Senate Pork,” Pondo para Pataasin ang Subsistence Allowance ng Uniformed Services
Pinabulaanan ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Miyerkules ang mga alegasyon tungkol sa umano’y ₱17.9-bilyong “Senate pork barrel fund” sa panukalang badyet para sa 2026 – bagkus, ang pondo ay para pataasin ang subsistence allowance ng uniformed personnel.
Ani Lacson, ang mga paratang ni Rep. Antonio Tinio tungkol sa “Senate pork” ay trabahong tamad, o kaya’y may malisya.
“The ‘Senate pork’ referred to by Rep. Tinio are actually realignments to increase the subsistence allowance of the uniformed personnel from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and Bureau of Fire Protection and also the Philippine Coast Guard,” giit ni Lacson.
“Rep. Tinio is either too lazy to do his research, or he is malevolently destabilizing the Senate to take the heat off the House of Representatives,” dagdag niya.
Noong Linggo, iginiit ni Lacson na hindi niya pipirmahin para ratipikahin ang bicam report sa 2026 budget bill hangga’t hindi naitutuwid ang mga probisyon na nagbibigay ng malaking pondo sa Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) at sa maaaring maanomalyang farm-to-market roads. Hiniling ng House contingent na palakihin ang badyet ng MAIFIP sa P51 billion.
Paratang naman ni Tinio noong Martes na may umano’y ₱17.9-bilyong “LGU pork” sa bersyon ng Senado ng 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
Ani Tinio, may malalaking kaltas umano ang bersyon ng Senado sa mga benepisyo ng mga rank-and-file na kawani ng gobyerno, na inilipat umano sa “discretionary pork barrel funds for Local Government Units (LGUs).”
“Gusto kong i-clarify mali ang sinasabi niya. Ang line na kinuha sa MPBF o Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund, realign talaga yan pero sa additional subsistence allowance ng uniformed personnel,” tugon dito Lacson sa panayam sa DZBB.
Dagdag ni Lacson, ito ay isang institutional amendment kung saan hindi makikinabang ang proponent nito.
Inulit ni Lacson ang panawagan sa media at sa publiko na manatiling mapagmatyag upang maiwasan ang mga manipulasyon sa panukalang badyet—lalo na ngayong naka-livestream ang mga pagdinig ng bicameral conference committee.
Aniya, dapat panatilihin ang pressure sa mga mambabatas upang hindi ipilit ang pagpopondo sa mga kuwestiyunableng programa, partikular yaong may kinalaman sa political patronage.
“All our (Senate) amendments are institutional and openly proposed on the Senate floor during the period of individual amendments,” aniya.
“Everything was transcribed and is now part of the Senate records for all future generations of senators to see,” dagdag niya.
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