Senator-Judge and Senate Committee on Accounts Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson strongly opposed Vice President Sara Duterte’s request for special food arrangements during her impeachment trial in the Senate, as it may violate the government procurement law.
Lacson also said the Senate still has about P22.6 million in unspent appropriations from the 2025 budget for the impeachment trial that may be used to provide meals for those performing official duties in connection with the proceedings, including the prosecution and defense teams.
The Vice President had written Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian requesting that the Senate shoulder the costs of food, beverage and catering services for the defense team, while requiring that these be sourced exclusively from the Office of the Vice President’s accredited caterer.
“ON OVP’S REQUEST FOR SPECIAL FOOD ARRANGEMENTS: There’s still around P22.6M out of the original P27.5M budget under the 2025 GAA available for the impeachment trial to feed and quench the thirsts of both the prosecution and defense teams, their support staff and witnesses and for other impeachment related activities. That said, we cannot pay the OVP’s caterer without violating the procurement law,” he said in a post on X.
In Filipino: Lacson: Hiling ng OVP Para sa Special Food Arrangements, Maaaring Lumabag sa Procurement Law
ON OVP’S REQUEST FOR SPECIAL FOOD ARRANGEMENTS: There’s still around P22.6M out of the original P27.5M budget under the 2025 GAA available for the impeachment trial to feed and quench the thirsts of both the prosecution and defense teams, their support staff and witnesses and for…
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) July 23, 2026
“As the chairman of the Committee on Accounts, madiin kong tinutulan due to the following reasons: Items 2 and 3 may be highly questionable and irregular in that the Senate has our own caterer that underwent regular bidding process and for us to accommodate OVP’s caterer and even shoulder the expenses incurred to feed VP Duterte’s defense team, support staff and witnesses may be violative of the government procurement law,” he added.
He was referring to two of three requests in the Vice President’s July 7 letter to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
The second request specified that all food and beverage for the defense team, support staff and witnesses shall be “sourced, prepared and served exclusively by the OVP’s accredited caterer.” The third request specified that the Senate “shoulder the reasonable costs of food and beverage and catering services for the defense team, support staff, and witnesses.”
Republic Act No. 12009, or the New Government Procurement Act, prescribes the procedures for the procurement of goods and services by government agencies to ensure transparency, competitiveness, and the prudent use of public funds.
As such, no party may dictate to the government which caterer or supplier it should engage without going through the process prescribed under RA 12009.
Lacson also pointed out that the Senate still has “existing substantial unspent appropriations for the impeachment trial which we can obligate until December 2026 under the continuing appropriations provision in the 2025 GAA.”
Under the 2025 GAA, P27.5 million was appropriated for the impeachment proceedings. As of July 21, only P4.9 million had been obligated, leaving about P22.6 million still available.
He said the remaining funds are sufficient to provide meals for those performing official duties in connection with the impeachment trial, including prosecution and defense teams, witnesses, senator-judges, and support staff.
“We can provide meals for everyone performing official duties in connection with the impeachment trial, provided the meals are strictly for trial-related activities,” he said.
He said he has discussed the matter informally with some of the senators, including Gatchalian.
*****
Lacson: Hiling ng OVP Para sa Special Food Arrangements, Maaaring Lumabag sa Procurement Law
Tinutulan ni Senator-Judge at Senate Committee on Accounts Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ang hiling ni Vice President Sara Duterte para sa espesyal na food arrangements sa kanyang impeachment trial sa Senado, dahil maaari itong lumabag sa government procurement law.
Sinabi rin ni Lacson na mayroon pang P22.6 milyon na unspent appropriations mula sa 2025 budget para sa impeachment trial na maaaring gamitin upang matustusan ang pagkain ng mga nagsasagawa ng opisyal na tungkulin kaugnay ng mga pagdinig, kabilang ang prosecution at defense teams.
Nagsulat ang Pangalawang Pangulo kay Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, kung saan hiniling nitong sagutin ng Senado ang gastos para sa food, beverage, at catering services ng defense team, habang inaatasang ang mga ito ay eksklusibong kunin mula sa accredited caterer ng Office of the Vice President.
“ON OVP’S REQUEST FOR SPECIAL FOOD ARRANGEMENTS: There’s still around P22.6M out of the original P27.5M budget under the 2025 GAA available for the impeachment trial to feed and quench the thirsts of both the prosecution and defense teams, their support staff and witnesses and for other impeachment related activities. That said, we cannot pay the OVP’s caterer without violating the procurement law,” aniya sa X.
“As the chairman of the Committee on Accounts, madiin kong tinutulan due to the following reasons: Items 2 and 3 may be highly questionable and irregular in that the Senate has our own caterer that underwent regular bidding process and for us to accommodate OVP’s caterer and even shoulder the expenses incurred to feed VP Duterte’s defense team, support staff and witnesses may be violative of the government procurement law,” dagdag niya.
Ang tinutukoy niya ay dalawa sa tatlong kahilingan sa liham ng Pangalawang Pangulo na may petsang Hulyo 7 at ipinadala kay Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
Sa ikalawang kahilingan, nakasaad na ang lahat ng food at beverage para sa defense team, support staff, at mga testigo ay dapat na “sourced, prepared and served exclusively by the OVP’s accredited caterer.” Sa ikatlong kahilingan naman, hiniling na ang Senado ang mag-shoulder ng “reasonable costs of food and beverage and catering services for the defense team, support staff, and witnesses.”
Itinatakda ng Republic Act No. 12009, o ang New Government Procurement Act, ang mga pamamaraan sa procurement ng mga produkto at serbisyo ng mga ahensya ng pamahalaan upang matiyak ang transparency, competitiveness, at maingat na paggamit ng pondo ng bayan.
Dahil dito, walang sinumang partido ang maaaring magdikta sa pamahalaan kung aling caterer o supplier ang dapat nitong kunin nang hindi dumaraan sa prosesong itinakda sa ilalim ng RA 12009.
Itinuro rin ni Lacson na ang Senado ay may “existing substantial unspent appropriations” para sa impeachment trial na maaaring i-obligate hanggang December 2026, “under the continuing appropriations provision in the 2025 GAA.”
Sa ilalim ng 2025 GAA, P27.5 milyon ang inilaan para sa impeachment proceedings. As of July 21, P4.9 milyon pa lamang ang na-obligate, kaya may humigit-kumulang P22.6 milyon pang natitirang maaaring gamitin.
Ani Lacson, sapat ang natitirang pondo upang tustusan ang pagkain ng mga nagsasagawa ng opisyal na tungkulin kaugnay ng impeachment trial, kabilang ang prosecution at defense teams, mga testigo, senator-judges, at support staff.
“We can provide meals for everyone performing official duties in connection with the impeachment trial, provided the meals are strictly for trial-related activities,” aniya.
Sinabi rin niyang napag-usapan na niya nang impormal ang usapin sa ilan sa kanyang mga kapwa senador, kabilang si Gatchalian.
*****