Lacson: Transparency Efforts Could be Senate’s Key to Regaining Public Trust

Efforts to fight corruption and uphold transparency could be one of the keys for the Senate to recover from its low trust and performance ratings and to regain the public’s trust, anti-corruption advocate Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.

Lacson said the Senate’s low ratings may have stemmed from factors including public perception of “pork” insertions by some senators, as well as the handling of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.

“It could have been a factor, rightly or wrongly. That is the public’s perception because that is what people see or read daily. It’s a combination of so many factors, so we must be careful,” he said in Filipino in an interview on One PH.

In Filipino: Lacson: Transparency Efforts Susi ng Senado sa Pagbawi sa Mababang Trust Ratings

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Lacson Debunks Insinuations of ‘Playing Safe’ on VP Impeachment Case

“I did not ‘play safe.’ Rather, I am acting out of respect for the Supreme Court.”

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson thus debunked such insinuations from some groups after he abstained from voting on the motion to archive the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

On Wednesday evening, Lacson had pointed out that his abstention stemmed from the still-pending motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives through the Solicitor General, to appeal the high court’s decision ruling the impeachment complaint as unconstitutional.

“So I did not play safe. I followed the Supreme Court and I do not want to preempt it because it has not issued a final decision,” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview on One PH. “I abstained out of respect for the Supreme Court.”

In Filipino: Lacson, Pinabulaanan ang Alegasyong ‘Playing Safe’ sa VP Impeachment Case

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Lacson to Work with Gatchalian, Like-Minded Solons Towards Pork-Free Budget

A breath of fresh air. This was how Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson described late Monday the initiative of Senate Finance Committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian to ensure transparency in the budget process.

Lacson, who earned a reputation as an eagle-eyed watchdog of the budget, said he hopes to work together with like-minded senators in keeping the budget free from “pork.”

“His proposal to upload online the documents related to the budget is a good one. It will mean a lot to see which lawmaker made which insertions that the President described as not aligning with the National Expenditure Program,” Lacson said in Filipino, in an interview on BNC Monday evening.

In Filipino: Lacson Makikiisa kay Gatchalian, Kasundong Mambabatas Patungo sa Pork-Free Budget

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Lacson Scores ‘Shameless Hypocrites’ Who Applauded President’s ‘Mahiya Naman Kayo’ Remark; Pushes Independent Flood Control Probe

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Thursday scored the “shameless hypocrites” who were among the lawmakers who applauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Mahiya naman kayo” pronouncement in his State of the Nation Address (SONA), regarding anomalies in flood control projects.

“I would like to think that the standing ovation during the President’s SONA meant that there were still members of Congress whose hands remain unsoiled by grease money from the graft-ridden flood control projects. The others who also applauded were simply shameless hypocrites,” he said in a post on X.

In Filipino: Lacson, Pinuna ang ‘Ipokrito at Ipokrita’ na Nakipagpalakpakan sa Pasaring ng Pangulo; Isinulong ang Independent Flood Control Probe

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New Customs Chief Asks Ping Lacson Help to Automate BOC’s Systems

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is heartened over the request of new Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno to help automate the bureau’s systems.

Lacson, in an interview on One News late Wednesday, disclosed that Nepomuceno made the request in a meeting on Tuesday.

“I met with BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno. I’m glad he asked for help in automating the bureau’s systems. I said it is good that he made such a request because you can be more efficient and save a lot in tax collections once the BOC is fully automated,” he said in Filipino.

In Filipino: Bagong Customs Chief, Humingi ng Tulong kay Ping Lacson Para I-Automate ang BOC

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