Lacson: Sustained Vigilance Needed to Ensure Laws Protect the People, Not Shield the Corrupt

Sustained vigilance is needed to ensure that laws protect the people instead of shielding the corrupt, particularly as Congress deliberates on the proposed 2027 national budget law, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday.

Lacson cited the People’s Budget Coalition and its allies for keeping watch over the budget process and flagging unsupported insertions in the House-approved budget bill.

In Filipino: Lacson: Tuloy-Tuloy na Pagbabantay, Kailangan Para Tiyaking Pinoprotektahan ng mga Batas ang Mamamayan, Hindi ang mga Tiwali

“A MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE TO THE ‘PEOPLE’S BUDGET COALITION’ (Not originally mine) — ‘When the law fails to protect us from the corrupt and instead protects the corrupt from us, we are doomed as a nation,'” Lacson said on X.

A MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE TO THE ‘PEOPLES BUDGET COALITION’ (Not originally mine) — “When the law fails to protect us from the corrupt and instead protects the corrupt from us, we are doomed as a nation”.

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) October 30, 2026

Lacson has long advocated greater public participation in the budget process. He re-filed last year Senate Bill 32, which seeks to institutionalize the participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the preparation and authorization process of the annual national budget.

The PBC was among the budget advocacy groups that Lacson engaged with during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance last Oct. 26.

After the hearing, Lacson thanked the PBC and like-minded groups for making public, among other things, their analysis of nearly 7,000 projects worth about P190 billion in the House-approved budget measure.

On Friday, the PBC called on the House Appropriations Committee to publish supporting documents for the questioned budget insertions and set up a public mechanism for verification, clarification and corrections, among other measures.

It warned that if the House-approved budget is passed as is – “without a system of verification of publicly available supporting documents by civil society and media—we might get another flood control scandal but in another agency.”

The PBC also announced plans for online workshops to increase public awareness on the budget and encourage greater public participation in the budget process.

Lacson said the information shared by the PBC and other groups during a Senate hearing last Oct. 26 strengthened his resolve to protect public funds, including doing what is needed to send those responsible to jail.

“From One Trillion March to One Trillion Pork — and all the way to Payatas!” he said.

From One Trillion March to One Trillion Pork — and all the way to Payatas!

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) October 27, 2026

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Lacson: Tuloy-Tuloy na Pagbabantay, Kailangan Para Tiyaking Pinoprotektahan ng mga Batas ang Mamamayan, Hindi ang mga Tiwali

Kailangan ang tuloy-tuloy na pagbabantay upang matiyak na pinoprotektahan ng mga batas ang mamamayan sa halip na gamiting panangga sa mga tiwali, lalo na ngayong tinatalakay sa Kongreso ang panukalang pambansang budget para sa 2027, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Biyernes.

Pinuri ni Lacson ang People’s Budget Coalition at mga kaalyado nito sa patuloy na pagbabantay sa proseso ng pagbubuo ng budget, at pagsita sa mga pagsingit sa panukalang budget na inaprubahan ng Kamara na walang sapat na dokumentong sumusuporta sa mga ito.

Matagal nang isinusulong ni Lacson ang aktibong pakikilahok ng publiko sa proseso ng pagbubuo ng budget. Muli niyang inihain noong nakaraang taon ang Senate Bill No. 32, na naglalayong gawing institusyonal ang pakikilahok ng mga civil society organization (CSO) sa paghahanda at pag-apruba ng taunang pambansang budget.

Isa ang PBC sa mga grupong nagsusulong ng transparency sa budget na nakausap ni Lacson sa isang pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Finance noong Oktubre 26.

Matapos ang pagdinig, pinasalamatan ni Lacson ang PBC at iba pang grupong may kaparehong adbokasiya sa pagsasapubliko ng kanilang pagsusuri sa halos 7,000 proyekto na nagkakahalaga ng humigit-kumulang P190 bilyon sa panukalang budget na inaprubahan ng Kamara.

Nitong Biyernes, nanawagan ang PBC sa House Appropriations Committee na ilathala ang mga dokumentong sumusuporta sa mga kuwestiyonableng insertion sa panukalang budget at magtatag ng mekanismo para makapagsagawa ang publiko ng beripikasyon, paglilinaw at pagwawasto, bukod sa iba pang hakbang.

Giit ng grupo, kung maipapasa ang panukalang budget na inaprubahan ng Kamara nang walang “system of verification of publicly available supporting documents by civil society and media,” maaaring maulit ang flood control scandal, ngunit sa ibang ahensiya naman.

Inihayag din ng PBC ang plano nitong magsagawa ng mga online workshop upang mapalawak ang kaalaman ng publiko tungkol sa budget at mahikayat ang higit na pakikilahok nito sa proseso ng pagbubuo ng budget.

Sinabi ni Lacson na lalo pang pinagtibay ng impormasyong ibinahagi ng PBC at iba pang grupo sa pagdinig noong Oktubre 26 ang kanyang determinasyong pangalagaan ang pondo ng bayan, kabilang ang paggawa ng mga kinakailangang hakbang upang makulong ang mga responsable.

“From One Trillion March to One Trillion Pork — and all the way to Payatas!” aniya.

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