Tag: 2025 budget

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Lacson Bares Double Appropriations for Same Slope Protection Project in Taguig

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Wednesday afternoon bared yet more potential anomalies involving infrastructure projects in Taguig City, the political bailiwick of disgraced ex-Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.

Lacson said his team’s latest findings found three additional P100-million slope protection projects under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), raising to P2.385 billion the total insertions in Taguig City.

In addition, two separate items appeared to be double appropriations for the same project, indicating one of the two may be deemed a ghost project.

“From P2.085B as earlier reported we found three-P100M additional slope protection projects for a new total of P2.385B insertions under the 2025 GAA. Two items appear to be double appropriations, involving two (2)-P100M for the same slope protection project. One of the two must be ghost,” he said in a post on X Wednesday afternoon.

In Filipino: Lacson, Inilantad ang Double Appropriation para sa Slope Protection Project sa Taguig

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Lacson Shoots Down Disgraced Ex-SP Cayetano’s Insinuations: I Earned My Money Legitimately

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson legitimately earned his wealth through private business and never resorted to budget insertions or kickbacks, contrary to the latest wild insinuations and black propaganda by disgraced ex-Senate President and self-styled anti-corruption crusader Alan Peter Cayetano.

Lacson also disclosed that there are ghost flood control projects in Taguig City, Cayetano’s political bailiwick, with the city engineer – a “self-styled BGC boy” – gambling heavily in many Metro Manila casinos.

“Let me correct Sen Alan Cayetano’s latest live selling on FB using wild insinuations and black propaganda against me. Hindi nag-doble ang net worth sa SALN ko in 2025 compared to 2022 when I left the Senate. Actually, more than four times ang increase at P244.9M compared to P58.7M in 2022 – the year I left government,” Lacson said on X. “Whatever money I have, I definitely earned legitimately through some real estate deals and other legitimate businesses with two other business partners as a private individual, and I paid P10.5M and P2.8M (in taxes) respectively as reflected in my ITRs (income tax returns).”

“Unlike Sen Cayetano with P6.79B in budget insertions under the 2025 GAA, (I have no) insertions a.k.a. pork barrel since I became a senator. (And I do not have any) 25% kickback (for) slope protection and other infra projects. I don’t know about him, but I have consistently refused lobby monies in relation to my job as a legislator,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Ibinasura ang mga Paratang ni Disgrasyadong Ex-SP Cayetano: Lehitimo Kong Pinaghirapan ang Aking Yaman

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Lacson: Romualdez Should Have Heeded Blue Ribbon Invitations to Refute Budget ‘Mangling’ Allegations

Former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez should have heeded invitations to attend the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearings last November and January to refute allegations linking him to the “mangling” of the 2025 budget, Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.

Lacson said the committee issued at least two official invitations to Romualdez to testify on the budget controversy, which has been linked to anomalous flood control projects and other irregularities.

“The Blue Ribbon Committee gave the former speaker at least two chances through official invitations to testify under oath and public scrutiny to what may be his strong argument against allegations of masterminding the ‘mangling beyond recognition’ of the 2025 national budget during the bicameral conference, which he now claims to have been made by only two people – then SP (Senate President Francis) Chiz Escudero and ex Cong and House Appropriations Chairman (Elizaldy) Zaldy Co,” Lacson said in a post on X.

In Filipino: Lacson: Dapat Sinunod ni Romualdez ang Mga Imbitasyon ng Blue Ribbon para Sagutin ang Alegasyon sa Pagkalikot sa 2025 Badyet

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Lacson Flags P2.5B ‘Allocables’ Tied to Imee in 2025 NEP; Questions Silence in Bicam

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed this on Sunday as he flagged P2.5 billion in allocables tied to Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios “Imee” Marcos in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP), as well as her silence on supposed “giniling” or “pork” when the 2026 budget bill was being tackled at the bicameral conference level.

Lacson said these are based on documents he received from the camp of the late Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Catalina Cabral.

“Marcos had allocables worth P2.5 billion in the NEP according to the Cabral files. Most allocables were moved from the NEP to the 2025 GAA via insertions in the bicam where Sen. Marcos had at least the same amount based on DPWH records… While part of the insertions were flagged for later release, part of her FLR allocables had been released,” he said in English and Filipino, in an interview on DZBB radio.

“She makes a lot of noise criticizing the 2026 budget for having ‘pork’ but she had ‘pork’ in the budget, at least in the 2025 GAA. So she has no moral ascendancy to criticize. In the first place, she was a member of the Senate contingent in the bicameral conference committee. Why didn’t she raise the issue that there was pork? We heard nothing from her then, when she was in the bicam,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Sinita ang P2.5B ‘Allocables’ ni Imee sa 2025 NEP; Kinuwestiyon ang Katahimikan sa Bicam

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Lacson Turning Up Heat on Corruption in 2026, Hopes President to Do the Same

In the Year of the Fire Horse, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson will turn up the heat against corruption, even as he hopes President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will bring the same fire to the fight.

Lacson said the Filipino people expect no less from their public servants, as they have become more awake and angry after learning how their hard-earned tax money was plundered.

“On a personal note, I thank 2025 for bringing me back all my staff that I left behind in 2022, plus a few assets more. With renewed tenacity and hard work, I am even more encouraged to expose more corruption issues that are similar to what has become the most blatant and unprecedented misuse and abuse of the national budget since I left the Senate three years ago,” he said.

“With a more awakened and angrier citizenry who have never been exposed before to more detailed acts of corruption and plunder of their hard-earned tax money, our national leaders have to brace themselves to address more corruption issues in 2026,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Lalong Paiinitin ang Laban vs Korapsyon sa 2026, Umaasang Ganoon Din ang Gagawin ng Pangulo

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