Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Saturday flagged some “questionable” lump sum appropriations for infrastructure projects of a government agency in the P7.2-trillion proposed national budget for 2027, adding he will seek an explanation or clarification from the officials concerned.
Lacson said he may formally raise the issue at the briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), which is initially scheduled on Aug. 27.
“We spotted lump sum appropriations that we don’t think should be lump sum. When we say lump sum appropriations, an aggregate amount is appropriated for a project, activity or program (PAP), or group of projects without detailing the breakdown of the cost of each PAP,” he said in English and Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.
“We will seek clarification on the details of these lump sum appropriations. Lump sum appropriations are allowed for calamity funds because we cannot predict when calamities occur. But it becomes questionable if it’s for infrastructure projects. That is what we saw and we will ask for details on the matter,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson, May Nasilip na ‘Questionable’ Lump-Sum Items para sa Infra Projects sa Panukalang 2027 Budget
Lacson and his staff have started poring through the National Expenditure Program (NEP), after it was transmitted to both houses of Congress earlier this week.
He said they will also check the NEP for possible special provisions that may potentially abuse the unprogrammed appropriations. He cited a past General Appropriations Act where the bicameral conference committee at the time added two additional and “highly questionable, even unconstitutional Special Provisions.”
Such provisions had included allowing the executive branch to transfer the funds of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) such as the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to the national treasury; and Foreign Assisted Projects, “which could have been disastrous, if disbursed for purposes other than what it was intended.” These were removed in subsequent national budgets.
Lacson also reiterated they will maintain the reforms initiated by the Senate and adopted all the way to the bicameral conference committee by then Senate finance committee chairman and now Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, including livestreaming the proceedings of the bicameral conference committee and posting online all documents related to the budget process.
This early, he said finance committee chairman Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito assured him he will not allow insertions in the bicameral conference committee, if they are not in the Senate or House versions of the General Appropriations Bill.
“I hope this year that under Sen. JV’s chairmanship, he will fulfill his promise not to allow insertions in the bicam level,” he said.
Lacson said such a policy would address a longstanding problem in the bicameral conference committee, where provisions that do not appear in either the Senate or House versions of the General Appropriations Bill have, in the past, been inserted during the final stages of the budget process.
Meanwhile, Lacson reiterated his advocacy for giving local government units and local development councils a greater say in the budget process, including having the Department of Budget and Management adjust the timing of its budget call so the output of local development councils through the Regional Development Councils will be taken into consideration and included in the National Expenditure Program.
This would help address the major disconnect between the needs and priorities of constituents with many of the insertions made by some lawmakers without consulting with the local officials concerned.
He cited one real-life example involving a fishing village in Bicol, where local fishermen sought his help after they had to use an improvised “skateboard” or flatbed trolley to “skate” along the railroad tracks, then take a tricycle and jeepney, spending nearly a day to bring their catch to the markets due to the lack of a bridge. After Lacson helped secure funding for the bridge, travel time was reduced by about 45 minutes.
Lacson pointed out that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order 82, issued in January 2025, sought to strengthen and enhance the participation of regional development councils. Yet, he said many mayors, governors and local officials still crowd the Senate’s halls, asking for funding for their projects.
“I was hoping EO 82 would be implemented properly but it seems the situation has not quite been corrected. This early we see many mayors visiting the Senate, telling us that their projects did not make it to the NEP. There is a disconnect. This is what I have been advocating since I entered the Senate 20-plus years ago. Local development councils must be given attention because they know their constituents’ needs,” he said.
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Lacson, May Nasilip na ‘Questionable’ Lump-Sum Items para sa Infra Projects sa Panukalang 2027 Budget
Nasilip ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Sabado ang ilang “questionable” na lump-sum appropriations para sa infrastructure projects ng isang ahensya ng gobyerno sa panukalang P7.2-trilyong pambansang budget para sa 2027, at sinabing hihingi siya ng paliwanag o paglilinaw sa mga kinauukulang opisyal.
Sinabi ni Lacson na maaari niyang pormal na ilahad ang isyu sa briefing ng Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), na nakatakdang magsimula sa Agosto 27.
“Meron kaming nasilip kaming pwede i-question o i-clarify na lump sum appropriations na sa tingin namin hindi dapat lump sum. Pag sinabing lump sum, may item pero hindi malinaw paano iimplementa. Nandiyan ang halaga. Meron siyang description pero di namin alam saan at paano,” aniya sa isang panayam sa DZMM radio. Aniya, kailangan ang detalye o breakdown ng bawa’t program, activity o project.
“Ika-clarify namin kung saan at paano. Kung lump sum, dapat calamity fund kasi di natin alam kailan (nangyayari ang kalamidad). Kung infrastructure project, teka muna, kunan natin ng detalye. Bakit kayo mag lump sum kung papagawa kayo ng anuman, infrastructure projects? Yan isang nakita namin,” dagdag niya.
Sinimulan na ni Lacson at ng kanyang staff ang masusing pagsusuri sa National Expenditure Program (NEP) matapos itong maipadala sa dalawang kapulungan ng Kongreso nitong nakaraang linggo.
Sinabi niyang susuriin din nila ang NEP para sa mga special provision na maaaring gamitin upang malusutan ang mga limitasyon sa unprogrammed appropriations.
Binanggit ni Lacson ang isang nakaraang General Appropriations Act kung saan nagdagdag ang bicameral conference committee ng dalawang “highly questionable, even unconstitutional Special Provisions.” Kabilang sa mga probisyong ito ang may kinalaman sa government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), gaya ng Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), gayundin sa Foreign-Assisted Projects (FAPs). Inalis naman ang mga naturang probisyon sa mga sumunod na pambansang budget.
Muling iginiit ni Lacson na pananatilihin nila ang mga reporma sa proseso ng budget na sinimulan at in-adopt hanggang bicameral conference committee ni noo’y Senate finance committee chairman at ngayo’y Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, kabilang ang livestreaming ng mga pagdinig ng bicameral conference committee at pagpo-post online ng mga dokumentong may kaugnayan sa proseso ng budget.
Ngayon pa lamang, sinabi niyang tiniyak sa kanya ni Senate finance committee chairman Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito na hindi niya pahihintulutan ang mga insertion sa antas ng bicameral conference committee na wala sa bersyon ng General Appropriations Bill ng Senado o Kamara.
“I hope this year under chairmanship of Sen JV, seatmate kami, talagang itaga sa bato gagawin niyang maayos. Sabi niya di niya papayagan gawin ng insertion sa bicam,” aniya.
Sinabi ni Lacson na tutugon ang naturang polisiya sa matagal nang problema sa bicameral conference committee, kung saan may mga probisyong wala sa bersyon ng General Appropriations Bill ng Senado o Kamara na naipapasok noon sa mga huling yugto ng proseso ng budget.
Muli ring iginiit ni Lacson ang kanyang adbokasiya na bigyan ng mas malaking papel ang local government units (LGUs) at local development councils (LDCs) sa proseso ng budget, kabilang ang kanyang panawagan sa Department of Budget and Management (DBM) na ayusin ang timing ng budget call nito upang matalakay at maisama sa NEP ang output ng local development councils sa pamamagitan ng mga Regional Development Councils.
Aniya, makatutulong ito upang matugunan ang malaking disconnect sa pagitan ng mga pangangailangan at prayoridad na tinutukoy ng mga lokal na opisyal at ng mga proyektong kalaunan ay naisasama sa pambansang budget, lalo na kapag humihingi ng pondo ang mga mambabatas nang hindi kumukonsulta sa mga kinauukulang lokal na opisyal.
Ibinahagi ni Lacson ang isang tunay na halimbawa mula sa isang fishing community sa Bicol, kung saan humingi ng tulong sa kanya ang mga lokal na mangingisda na kailangang gumamit ng “skateboard” o flatbed trolley para mag-“skate” sa riles ng tren, at sumakay ng tricycle at jeep bago makarating sa palengke dahil sa kawalan ng tulay. Matapos tumulong si Lacson na makakuha ng pondo para sa tulay, nabawasan ng tinatayang 45 minuto ang travel time.
Tinukoy din niya na layunin ng Executive Order 82 ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., na inilabas noong Enero 2025, na palakasin at paigtingin ang partisipasyon ng regional development councils. Gayunman, sinabi ni Lacson na patuloy pa ring dagsa sa Senado ang maraming mayor, gobernador at iba pang lokal na opisyal upang humingi ng pondo para sa kanilang mga proyekto na hindi naisama sa NEP.
“I was hoping sana maisakatuparan (ang EO 82) pero mukhang di masyadong na-correct. This early ang daming nagpupunta na mayors, bumibisita sa Senate… kasi hindi humabol sa NEP. May disconnect talaga. Ito ang mula pa ng aking first term 20-plus years ago ito ang aking pinaglalaban… Bigyang pansin ang LDC (kasi) sila mas nakakaalam,” aniya.
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