The Senate majority bloc is backing Senate finance committee chairman Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito’s efforts to purge the proposed 2027 national budget of “unwarranted, whimsical, and corruption-prone items,” and “all means all” as far as their scrutiny is concerned, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Sunday.
Lacson said majority bloc members, including himself, support not only removing questionable allocations from the budget bill but also ensuring transparency in the process of crafting it.
In Filipino: Lacson sa Pagkakaisa ng Senate Majority sa Pagpurga ng ‘Pork’ sa 2027 Budget Bill: All Means All!
“The majority of senators are rallying behind Senate Finance Committee Chairman JV Ejercito’s efforts to cleanse the 2027 budget of unwarranted, whimsical, and corruption-prone items. — ALL MEANS ALL!” he said in a post on X.
Over the weekend, Ejercito secured a commitment from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that infrastructure projects without complete supporting documents will be removed from the House-approved version of the budget bill before plenary debates begin, unless the agency submits the requirements by Nov. 3.
Budget advocacy groups had earlier flagged the lack of supporting documents as among the red flags they found in the House-approved version of the budget bill.
A Senate review found that the number of DPWH projects grew from 11,420 in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to 16,244 in the House-transmitted General Appropriations Bill (GAB). Lawmakers introduced 6,271 of the new projects without initial vetting by the executive branch.
Ejercito also said civil society organizations would be invited to observe the bicameral conference committee deliberations on the budget, which would be livestreamed to promote transparency.
Last Friday, Lacson said the Senate majority bloc had agreed to ensure transparency in crafting the budget bill, including by adopting measures instituted by former Senate Finance Committee chairman and now Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
He said senators have adopted a “gung-ho” stance in correcting questionable allocations in the House version, and will not exempt anyone, not even those considered close to the President.
When asked in an interview on One News if the Senate 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.”
He added that while he was not aware of any majority bloc member making project insertions in the budget bill, he could sense his colleagues’ shared sentiment in their group chats.
“Sa Senate 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 anyone would dare insert pet projects. I don’t think so. When we chat, I can feel the sentiment of my colleagues),” Lacson said in an interview on One News’ Storycon.
The Senate will debate the budget bill after it resumes plenary sessions on Nov. 9. Ejercito was quoted in reports as saying plenary debates on the budget bill are expected to start on Nov. 23.
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Lacson sa Pagkakaisa ng Senate Majority sa Pagpurga ng ‘Pork’ sa 2027 Budget Bill: All Means All!
Buo ang suporta ng mayorya ng Senado sa pagsisikap ni Senate Finance Committee Chairman Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito na alisin sa panukalang pambansang budget para sa 2027 ang mga “unwarranted, whimsical, and corruption-prone items” – at “all means all” ang kanilang pagsusuri, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Linggo.
Ani Lacson, suportado ng mga miyembro ng mayorya, kabilang na siya, na hindi lamang ang pagtanggal sa mga kuwestiyonableng alokasyon sa budget bill kundi maging ang pagtitiyak na magiging transparent ang proseso ng pagbuo nito.
“The majority of senators are rallying behind Senate Finance Committee Chairman JV Ejercito’s efforts to cleanse the 2027 budget of unwarranted, whimsical, and corruption-prone items. — ALL MEANS ALL!” saad niya sa kanyang post sa X.
Noong weekend, nakakuha si Ejercito ng pangako mula sa Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) na aalisin sa bersyon ng budget bill na ipinadala ng Kamara ang mga proyektong pang-imprastraktura na walang kumpletong supporting documents bago magsimula ang plenary debates, maliban kung maipasa ng ahensya ang mga kinakailangang dokumento bago sumapit ang Nob. 3.
Nauna nang itinuro ng mga budget advocacy group ang kawalan ng supporting documents bilang isa sa mga red flag na nakita nila sa bersyon ng budget bill na inaprubahan ng Kamara.
Batay sa pagsusuri ng Senado, tumaas mula 11,420 sa National Expenditure Program (NEP) tungong 16,244 sa General Appropriations Bill (GAB) na ipinadala ng Kamara ang bilang ng mga proyekto ng DPWH. Sa mga bagong proyekto, 6,271 ang ipinasok ng mga mambabatas nang hindi dumaan sa paunang pagsusuri ng ehekutibo.
Sinabi rin ni Ejercito na iimbitahan ang mga civil society organization na magmasid sa mga deliberasyon ng bicameral conference committee sa budget, na ipapalabas nang live upang matiyak ang transparency.
Noong Biyernes, sinabi ni Lacson na nagkasundo ang mayorya sa Senado na tiyakin ang transparency sa pagbuo ng budget bill, kabilang ang pagpapatupad ng mga hakbang na pinasimulan ni dating Senate Finance Committee chairman at ngayo’y Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
Sinabi niyang magiging “gung-ho” ang mga senador sa pagsuri at pagwawasto sa mga kuwestiyonableng alokasyon sa bersyon ng Kamara, at walang itatangi, maging ang mga itinuturing na malapit sa Pangulo.
Nang tanungin sa panayam sa One News kung saklaw ng pagsusuri ng Senado ang pinakamalaking netong pagtaas sa alokasyon para sa mga proyektong pang-imprastraktura sa distrito ni Rep. Sandro Marcos, anak ng Pangulo, sa bersyon ng panukalang budget na inaprubahan ng Kamara, sumagot si Lacson: “Yes, absolutely.”
Dagdag niya, bagama’t wala siyang nalalamang miyembro ng mayorya sa Senado na nagpasok ng mga proyekto sa budget bill, nararamdaman niya sa kanilang mga group chat ang pagkakaisa ng kanyang mga kasamahan sa usapin.
“Sa Senate 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,” sabi ni Lacson sa panayam sa Storycon ng One News.
Magsasagawa ng plenary debates sa budget bill ang Senado matapos magbalik ang mga sesyon nito sa plenaryo sa Nob. 9. Ayon sa mga ulat, sinabi ni Ejercito na inaasahang magsisimula ang plenary debates sa Nob. 23.
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