Abolish the system of allocables and the “leadership fund” from the national budget, strengthen transparency in the budget process, and expand the powers of the Office of the Ombudsman to pursue corruption cases.
Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Tuesday that these are among the emerging recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s probe into anomalous flood control projects.
These are aside from the Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearings being instrumental in the ongoing preliminary investigations of the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman into key figures involved in the scandal – including former and incumbent lawmakers – as well as the trial happening at the Sandiganbayan, he emphasized.
Lacson pointed out that “almost all the recommendations in the partial committee report have already been overtaken by events as they are already being undertaken and in fact the said preliminary investigations are nearing completion if not completed already.”
“(Kasama sa rekomendasyon ng komite ang) ibawal ang allocables at leadership fund. Ito ang reporma tungkol sa budget. Tapos gawing transparent, of course ginawa namin sa 2026 budget, transparent ang entire budgeting process (Among the committee’s recommendations are to ban allocables and the leadership fund as part of reforms in the budgeting system. And make the crafting of the budget transparent, similar to what we did for the 2026 General Appropriations Act),” Lacson said in an interview on DZBB radio.
In Filipino: Lacson: Blue Ribbon Panel, Itinutulak ang Pagbabawal sa Allocables at Leadership Fund
Lacson said the committee is also recommending stronger powers for the Office of the Ombudsman, including giving it its own law enforcement arm that can apply for search warrants; and allowing the Ombudsman to deputize private lawyers, “subject to screening and vetting.”
Earlier, Lacson branded allocables as the new pork barrel as they allow the funding of projects before they are identified.
He said their initial findings showed that in the 2025 national budget, the House leadership got at least P143.5 billion in allocables. Party lists and even non-legislators including former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec. Manuel Bonoan also had allocables, including P30.5 billion in 2025 alone.
Documents from the camp of the late DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral and from the DPWH itself showed at least five Cabinet members and even some undersecretaries had allocables and/or non-allocables amounting to billions of pesos in the 2025 budget.
On the other hand, Lacson said the “leadership fund” allowed lawmakers to tinker with the National Expenditure Program (NEP) by accommodating lawmakers’ proposals. Bonoan had claimed they allowed such insertions in the NEP to “avoid complications” at the bicameral conference committee.
Lacson noted this violates the budgeting process, where the role of lawmakers is not in the crafting of the NEP as it is the exclusive jurisdiction of the executive branch, but in the authorization phase or during the congressional deliberations on the budget bill.
Meanwhile, Lacson defended the gains of the panel’s investigation into anomalous flood control projects, amid what he described as efforts to belittle the probe’s findings.
He said evidence gathered by the committee’s hearings have been instrumental in helping the Department of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman build cases against some personalities.
“Hello, anong walang nagawa? Katakot takot na ang nagawa namin, katunayan ang laki nang na-contribute namin sa nangyaring prosecution pati nasa korte dinidinig sa Sandiganbayan nanggaling din sa Blue Ribbon. Di ko pinagyayabang di para ipagmalaki pero factual ang aking sinasabi na karamihan ng evidence na nagamit na at ginagamit pa, nanggaling karamihan sa Blue Ribbon o kung hindi man sa aking dalawang privilege speeches (Hello, did the Blue Ribbon really achieve nothing? We have achieved much. We have contributed much to the cases some personalities are facing in the Sandiganbayan. I am not bragging but much of the evidence came from the Blue Ribbon hearings, or my two privilege speeches on the subject),” he said.
“Di namin trabaho ang mag-prosecute. Trabaho namin, inquiry in aid of legislation and investigation. Ang sa aspect ng investigation, pino-provide naman namin through files. Binibigyan namin sila ng copy. Ito rin ginagamit na ebidensya. Saan nanggaling si Sally Santos, Henry Alcantara, (at Roberto) Bernardo? Saan nanggaling yan, di ba sa Blue Ribbon Committee? Tapos iniinsulto nila walang ginagawa, may ipinagtatakpan (The committee’s job is not to prosecute but to hold an inquiry in aid of legislation and to investigate. On the aspect of investigation, we provided files to the DOJ and Ombudsman. Where did Sally Santos, Henry Alcantara and Roberto Bernardo come from? Weren’t they from the Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearings? Yet some chose to insult the committee by saying it achieved nothing and tried to cover up for some people),” he added.
Lacson pushed back as well against some sectors for insinuating he is trying to cover up for some personalities, saying he has not asked – nor plans to ask – for favors from Malacanang.
Also, he pointed out some of his own colleagues are angry because the panel recommended that they undergo preliminary investigation.
In the meantime, Lacson said he remains hopeful the committee’s partial report can gather at least five more signatures so it can be filed and discussed in plenary.
He said those who have reservations or plan to interpellate can still sign the partial report and raise their issues once the report is tackled on the Senate floor.
*****
Lacson: Blue Ribbon Panel, Itinutulak ang Pagbabawal sa Allocables at Leadership Fund
Ipagbawal ang sistema ng allocables at ang “leadership fund” sa pambansang badyet, palakasin ang transparency sa proseso ng pagbuo ng badyet, at palawakin ang kapangyarihan ng Office of the Ombudsman upang tugisin ang mga kaso ng korapsyon.
Ani Senate President Pro Tempore at Blue Ribbon Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Martes, kabilang ito sa mga lumalabas na rekomendasyon mula sa imbestigasyon ng Blue Ribbon Committee sa mga maanomalyang flood control projects.
Bukod pa ito sa hindi matawarang halaga ng mga pagdinig ng Blue Ribbon Committee sa pagiging batayan sa preliminary investigation ng Department of Justice at Ombudsman laban sa mga pangunahing personalidad – kabilang ang dati at kasalukuyang mambabatas – na sangkot sa iskandalo—pati na rin ang kasong nililitis sa Sandiganbayan, aniya.
Diin ni Lacson, “almost all the recommendations in the partial committee report have already been overtaken by events as they are already being undertaken and in fact the said preliminary investigations are nearing completion if not completed already.”
“(Kasama sa rekomendasyon ng komite ang) ibawal ang allocables at leadership fund. Ito ang reporma tungkol sa budget. Tapos gawing transparent, of course ginawa namin sa 2026 budget, transparent ang entire budgeting process,” iginiit ng mambabatas sa panayam sa DZBB.
Sinabi ni Lacson na inirerekomenda rin ng komite ang pagpapalakas ng kapangyarihan ng Office of the Ombudsman, kabilang ang pagbibigay dito ng sariling law enforcement arm na maaaring mag-aplay ng search warrants; at pagbibigay ng kapangyarihang mag-deputize ng mga pribadong abogado, “subject to screening and vetting.”
Nauna nang tinawag ni Lacson na bagong pork barrel ang allocables dahil pinapayagan nito ang pagpopondo ng mga proyekto kahit hindi pa natutukoy ang mga ito.
Ayon sa paunang pagsusuri, umabot umano sa hindi bababa sa P143.5 bilyon ang allocables sa 2025 pambansang badyet na napunta sa liderato ng Kamara. May allocables din umano ang mga party-list at maging ilang non-legislators, kabilang si dating Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec. Manuel Bonoan, na umabot umano sa P30.5 bilyon noong 2025 lamang.
Ipinakita rin ng mga dokumento mula sa kampo ng yumaong DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral at mula sa DPWH mismo na hindi bababa sa limang Cabinet members at ilang undersecretaries ang may allocables at/o non-allocables na umaabot sa bilyun-bilyong piso sa 2025 budget.
Sa kabilang banda, sinabi ni Lacson na ang “leadership fund,” na umano’y nagbigay-daan sa mga mambabatas na maimpluwensyahan ang National Expenditure Program (NEP) sa pamamagitan ng paglalagay ng mga mungkahi, ay lumalabag sa proseso ng pagba-badyet. Binigyang-diin niya na bagama’t ipinaliliwanag ito bilang paraan upang maiwasan ang komplikasyon sa bicameral conference committee, nabubura nito ang malinaw na paghihiwalay ng tungkulin ng ehekutibo at lehislatura.
Samantala, ipinagtanggol ni Lacson ang mga nakamit ng imbestigasyon ng komite sa mga maanomalyang flood control projects, sa gitna ng mga pagtatangkang maliitin ang mga natuklasan nito.
Aniya, ang mga ebidensyang nakalap sa mga pagdinig ng komite ay naging mahalaga sa pagtulong sa Department of Justice at Office of the Ombudsman sa pagbubuo ng mga kaso laban sa ilang personalidad.
“Hello, anong walang nagawa? Katakot takot na ang nagawa namin, katunayan ang laki nang na-contribute namin sa nangyaring prosecution pati nasa korte dinidinig sa Sandiganbayan nanggaling din sa Blue Ribbon. Di ko pinagyayabang di para ipagmalaki pero factual ang aking sinasabi na karamihan ng evidence na nagamit na at ginagamit pa, nanggaling karamihan sa Blue Ribbon o kung hindi man sa aking dalawang privilege speeches,” diin niya.
“Di namin trabaho ang mag-prosecute. Trabaho namin, inquiry in aid of legislation and investigation. Ang sa aspect ng investigation, pino-provide naman namin through files. Binibigyan namin sila ng copy. Ito rin ginagamit na ebidensya. Saan nanggaling si Sally Santos, Henry Alcantara, (at Roberto) Bernardo? Saan nanggaling yan, di ba sa Blue Ribbon Committee? Tapos iniinsulto nila walang ginagawa, may ipinagtatakpan,” dagdag niya.
Ipinahayag din ni Lacson ang pagtutol sa mga paratang na may tinatago siyang interes o may tinatangkang pagtakpan na mga personalidad, at sinabing hindi siya humingi at wala siyang balak humingi ng pabor mula sa Malacañang.
Binigyang-diin din niya na may ilang kasamahan umano sa Senado ang nagtatampo matapos irekomenda ng komite na isailalim sila sa preliminary investigation.
Umaasa si Lacson na makakakuha pa ng hindi bababa sa limang dagdag na lagda ang partial report ng komite upang maihain at matalakay sa plenaryo.
Ayon sa kanya, ang mga senador na may reserbasyon o planong mag-interpellate ay maaari pa ring pumirma sa ulat at ilahad ang kanilang mga isyu kapag tinalakay na ito sa Senado.
*****