Lacson: No Sacred Cows as Senate Goes ‘Gung-Ho’ on 2027 Budget Review, Reforms

No one will be spared scrutiny in the Senate’s review of the proposed 2027 national budget, not even lawmakers close to the President, as senators adopt a “gung-ho” stance in correcting questionable allocations, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday.

Lacson said he and his fellow Senate majority bloc members are fully behind Senate finance committee chairman Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito in addressing the red flags in the House-approved version of the budget bill.

In Filipino: Lacson: Masagasaan ang Masagasaan sa Pagsusuri ng Senado sa 2027 Budget

“Ang attitude namin sa ngayon, gung-ho. Kung masagasaan, masagasaan. Kung magbigay ng exceptions to the rule minsan ang exceptions ang nagiging general rule (Our attitude now is to go gung-ho. If anyone gets hit, so be it. There will be no exceptions, otherwise the exception could become the general rule),” he said in an interview on One News’ Storycon.

When asked if the scrutiny will cover the largest net increase in public works allocations to the congressional district of presidential son Rep. Sandro Marcos in the House-approved version of the bill, Lacson said “Yes, absolutely.”

“Kasi pag nagkaroon tayo ng exception to the rules maraming hihingi ng exceptions. Tapos di yan mag-succeed kasi diyan nagsisimula. Pag may tinitingnan at di tinitingnan diyan magsisimula ang pagba-bargain (If we make exceptions, many will ask for exceptions and we won’t succeed because there will be plea bargaining),” he said.

Lacson noted the Senate will resume plenary sessions on Nov. 9, where they will hold debates on the budget bill.

He said he already submitted his subcommittee reports on the proposed budget of agencies assigned to him, while the Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO) is reviewing the reports.

“Para pagdating sa plenary nakakamada na yan at dun kami mag introduce ng amendments. At pwede naming kaltasin ang lumobo sa HGAB (Once the plenary sessions resume, the LBRMO would have finished its review and we can introduce amendments to restore the changes the House made to its version of the General Appropriations Bill),” he said.

“Sa Senate (majority), hindi ko alam kung may mangahas maglagay ng pet projects I don’t think so. Pag nagcha-chat kami, alam ko ramdam ko ang sentiment ng aking kasamahan (In the Senate I don’t know if someone sneaked in funds for pet projects but I don’t think so. When we in the majority bloc chat, I can feel my colleagues’ sentiments),” he added.

‘Shaming’

Lacson said the Senate may invite civil society organizations (CSOs), particularly budget advocacy groups, to monitor the bicameral conference committee proceedings in person and expose – and even “shame” – lawmakers making questionable insertions.

Lacson said he had challenged budget advocacy groups to be prepared to stay through lengthy deliberations so they could personally witness the proceedings.

“Hindi lang maging vigilant kundi mag-resort na sa shaming. Kasi minsan talagang wala na ring kahihiyan ang iba. Pagkatapos ng flood control project anomalies, ghost projects, eto na naman tayo kanya kanyang singitan (We must not just be vigilant. We may have to resort to shaming because there are those who are shameless in making insertions, and we are still reeling from the flood control scandal),” he said.

Budget ‘Re-Engineering’

Meanwhile, Lacson said the country needs to fundamentally re-engineer its budget process to address political patronage and ensure that allocations reflect the actual needs and priorities of local government units.

He lamented how political affiliations appear to influence budget allocations, with administration allies receiving more funding while lawmakers in the minority get little or even nothing.

Also, he cited instances where the choice of contractors for infrastructure projects appears to be predetermined even before contracts are awarded.

“Sa Taguig, bago pa ma-award ang contract alam na sino ang contractor. This is a matter of record. Nasa Ombudsman ang evidence (In Taguig for example, before the contract is awarded, the contractor is already known. This is a matter of record. The evidence is with the Ombudsman),” he noted.

Lacson also cited concerns raised by budget advocacy groups over the continued issuance of guarantee letters (GLs), despite provisions in the 2026 General Appropriations Act prohibiting them.

“Kailangan talaga re-engineering. Hindi pwedeng more of the same. Hanggang ngayon may GL, alam ko bawal na yan. O baka residue ng nakaraang budget. May kilala akong congressman, nag-o-offer (We need a re-engineering of the budget. We cannot have more of the same. Up to now there are guarantee letters even if the 2026 GAA banned them. These may be residues of past budgets. But I know congressmen who still offer GLs),” he said.

Lacson said the re-engineering should start with the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), and make sure insertions do not make their way into the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“Mag-start sa DBCC. Alam natin sa NEP pa lang naka-insert na (It should start with the DBCC. Right now we know insertions are made even at the NEP stage),” he said. “Policy decision ito (This should be a policy decision).”

“May nabasa akong when the law fails to protect the people from the corrupt and instead protects the corrupt from the people, wala na (I have read that when the law fails to protect the people from the corrupt and instead protects the corrupt from the people, we’re doomed),” he added.

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Lacson: Masagasaan ang Masagasaan sa Pagsusuri ng Senado sa 2027 Budget

Walang makakaligtas sa masusing pagsusuri ng Senado sa panukalang pambansang budget para sa 2027, maging ang mga malapit sa Pangulo, dahil “gung-ho” ang mga senador na itama ang mga kuwestiyonableng alokasyon, diin ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson.

Sinabi ni Lacson na buo ang suporta niya at ng kanyang mga kasamahang miyembro ng Senate majority bloc kay Senate finance committee chairman Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito sa pagtugon sa mga red flag sa bersyon ng panukalang budget na inaprubahan ng Kamara.

“Ang attitude namin sa ngayon, gung-ho. Kung masagasaan, masagasaan. Kung magbigay ng exceptions to the rule minsan ang exceptions ang nagiging general rule,” aniya sa panayam sa Storycon ng One News.

Nang tanungin kung isasailalim din sa pagsusuri ang pinakamalaking net increase sa alokasyon para sa mga infrastructure projects sa distrito ni presidential son Rep. Sandro Marcos sa House-approved version ng panukalang budget, sumagot si Lacson ng, “Yes, absolutely.”

Sinabi ni Lacson na magbabalik ang Senado sa plenary sessions sa Nobyembre 9 upang talakayin ang panukalang budget.

Aniya, naipasa na niya ang mga subcommittee report tungkol sa panukalang budget ng mga ahensyang nakatalaga sa kanya, habang sinusuri naman ng Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO) ang mga naturang ulat.

“Para pagdating sa plenary nakakamada na yan at dun kami mag-introduce ng amendments. At pwede naming kaltasin ang lumobo sa HGAB,” aniya.

Dagdag pa niya: “Sa Senate (majority), hindi ko alam kung may mangahas maglagay ng pet projects. I don’t think so. Pag nagcha-chat kami, alam ko ramdam ko ang sentiment ng aking kasamahan.”

‘Shaming’

Ani Lacson, maaaring imbitahan ng Senado ang mga civil society organization (CSO), partikular ang mga grupong nagsusulong ng transparency sa budget, upang personal na masubaybayan ang mga pagdinig ng bicameral conference committee at ilantad — o kaya ay ipahiya — ang mga mambabatas na magtatangkang magsingit ng mga kuwestiyonableng alokasyon.

Hinamon niya ang mga grupong nagsusulong ng reporma sa budget na maghanda sa mahahabang deliberasyon upang personal nilang masaksihan ang mga pag-uusap at proseso.

Re-engineering ng Budget

Samantala, sinabi ni Lacson na kailangang baguhin nang malawakan ang proseso ng pagbubuo ng budget upang matugunan ang pamumulitika at matiyak na ang mga alokasyon ay naaayon sa aktuwal na pangangailangan at prayoridad ng mga local government unit (LGU).

Ikinadismaya niya ang tila impluwensya ng pulitikal na alyansa sa paghahati ng pondo, kung saan mas malaking alokasyon ang napupunta sa mga kaalyado ng administrasyon habang kakaunti o wala namang nakukuha ang mga mambabatas na kabilang sa minorya.

Binanggit din niya ang mga pagkakataong tila napagpapasyahan na kung sino ang magiging contractor ng mga proyektong pang-imprastraktura bago pa man maigawad ang mga kontrata.

“Sa Taguig, bago pa ma-award ang contract alam na sino ang contractor. This is a matter of record. Nasa Ombudsman ang evidence,” aniya.

Binanggit din ni Lacson ang mga pangamba ng mga grupong nagsusulong ng reporma sa budget sa patuloy na pag-iisyu ng guarantee letters (GL), sa kabila ng mga probisyon sa 2026 General Appropriations Act na nagbabawal dito.

Sinabi ni Lacson na dapat magsimula ang re-engineering sa Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) upang matiyak na hindi na makakasingit ang mga kuwestiyonableng alokasyon sa National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“Mag-start sa DBCC. Alam natin sa NEP pa lang naka-insert na,” aniya. “Policy decision ito.”

“May nabasa akong when the law fails to protect the people from the corrupt and instead protects the corrupt from the people, wala na,” dagdag niya.

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