Senators who were elected last May are not among those who had budget insertions in the 2025 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as claimed by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.
Lacson said the records cited by Leviste, which supposedly showed senators’ insertions in the DPWH’s 2025 budget amounting to P120 billion, refer to a budget that was approved by the 19th Congress, months before the May midterm elections.
“Congressman Leviste should at least qualify his statement with the phrase ‘in the 19th Congress’ in fairness to the new members of the 20th Congress, including myself and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, among others,” he said.
“That said, even during the previous Congresses, I never partook of allocables or pork barrel allocations, or whatever names they were called,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson: Mga Senador na Nahalal noong Mayo, Hindi Kabilang sa Mga Mayroong 2025 Budget Insertions
Lacson, a long-time enemy of the pork barrel system, was among the 12 senators who were elected last May and assumed office June 30, along with Sotto.
As such, he pointed out he could not have taken part in preparing the national budget for 2025, much less that of the DPWH.
In a radio interview Monday, Leviste was quoted as saying that senators made P120 billion in insertions to the 2025 budget, based on documents he got from the late DPWH Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral.
He said his mother, Sen. Loren Legarda, was listed as having project insertions although he quoted her as saying she had no knowledge of the projects listed under her name.
*****
Lacson: Mga Senador na Nahalal noong Mayo, Hindi Kabilang sa Mga Mayroong 2025 Budget Insertions
Hindi kabilang ang mga senador na nahalal noong nakaraang Mayo sa mga sinasabi ni Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste na may insertions sa 2025 budget ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), giit ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson.
Ani Lacson, ang binanggit na dokumento ni Leviste na umano’y nagpapakita na P120 bilyon ang insertion ng mga senador sa 2025 budget ng DPWH ay tumutukoy sa badyet na inaprubahan ng 19th Congress, ilang buwan bago ang ginanap na midterm elections noong Mayo.
“Congressman Leviste should at least qualify his statement with the phrase ‘in the 19th Congress’ in fairness to the new members of the 20th Congress, including myself and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, among others,” aniya.
“That said, even during the previous Congresses, I never partook of allocables or pork barrel allocations, or whatever names they were called,” dagdag niya.
Si Lacson, na matagal nang kalaban ng pork barrel system, ay kabilang sa 12 senador na nahalal noong nakaraang Mayo at nanumpa noong Hunyo 30, kasama si Sotto.
Dahil dito, iginiit niya na hindi maaaring nakilahok siya sa paghahanda ng pambansang badyet para sa 2025, lalo na sa badyet ng DPWH.
Sa isang panayam sa radyo noong Lunes, ibinahagi ni Leviste na may P120 bilyong insertion ang mga senador sa 2025 budget, batay sa mga dokumentong nakuha niya mula sa yumaong DPWH Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral.
Dagdag niya na kasama ang kanyang inang si Sen. Loren Legarda sa mga may project insertion, bagama’t sinabi ng kanyang ina na wala siyang kaalaman sa mga proyektong nakapangalan sa kanya.
*****