From Daily Tribune: While the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that the Priority Development Assistance Fund and similar discretionary lump sums in the budget that gave legislators authority to implement government projects were illegal, the pork barrel has been resurrected in different forms over the years.
From Daily Tribune: “It is not the obligation of congressmen and senators to distribute these subsidy programs. (The) mandate of Congress in the budget process is to authorize and legislate and not to implement,” said former Senator Ping Lacson, who was known as a budget watchdog.
Continue reading “Editorial: Undying hunger for pork [Tribune]”
From Ana Marie Pamintuan‘s column in The Philippine Star: Lacson, who unlike some lawmakers reads the fine print before affixing his signature to the budget measure, describes the bicameral conference as “the third chamber of Congress” where budgeting “miracles” happen.
From Daily Tribune: “What happened with AKAP was that it was concealed and was sneakily inserted. It was included in the DSWD’s budget, but it was placed (before) the Quick Response Fund,” Lacson revealed.
Continue reading “Editorial: AKAP’s suspicious origin [Tribune]”
From BusinessMirror: “The general rule we follow is that the disagreeing provisions are the only ones we will reconcile. But it has become a tradition that even provisions that are found neither in the HOR or Senate version can still be inserted,” Lacson said in the recent interview, speaking partly in Filipino.
From ABS-CBN News: Lawmakers’ distribution of Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers, Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, and other forms of government aid is “unconstitutional” and “illegal,” former Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Sunday.
Continue reading “Lacson says aid distribution not part of lawmakers’ job [ABS-CBN News]”
In an interview on DWPM (Teleradyo Serbisyo), Ping Lacson answered questions on:
* Why AKAP is sneaky
* Practice of some legislators to distribute AKAP, TUPAD, AICS and other forms of ‘aid’
* Senate-House word war
* 2025 elections
Continue reading “Ping: AKAP, “Parang Palihim, Parang Sneaky””
If not clarified by the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Art VI, Sec 25 of the 1987 Constitution, what can prevent Congress from adding P1 trillion or even more in the next succeeding budget deliberations, so we borrow more to fund the excess in the Unprogrammed Fund under the NEP?
Needless to say, this is a very bad precedent, especially so that Congress has developed the new penchant for realigning the budget to and from the Unprogrammed Appropriations.
To illustrate my point: Under the 2022 GAA, Congress managed to realign to the Unprogrammed Appropriations under the Special Purpose Fund the amount of P100 billion; while under the 2023 GAA, they realigned a total of P219 billion to the Unprogrammed Appropriations.
Under the same scheme of realignments, mostly done in the bicameral conference committee level, they also realigned hundreds of billions of pesos from the Unprogrammed Appropriations to the regular budget to fund their so-called “pet projects.”
*****
From Inquirer.net: Former Senator Ping Lacson said the bicameral conference committee’s move to add a P450 billion increase to the unprogrammed appropriations of the 2024 budget is unconstitutional.
Continue reading “Hike in 2024 unprogrammed funds is unconstitutional — Lacson [Inquirer]”
Sobrang unprogrammed appropriations sa proposed 2024 budget, dapat i-veto ni Pangulong Marcos dahil labag sa Art. VI, Sec. 25 ng Saligang Batas, ayon kay dating Sen. Ping Lacson.
Ayon sa Saligang Batas: “The Congress may not increase the appropriations recommended by the President for the operation of the Government as specified in the budget. The form, content, and manner of preparation of the budget shall be prescribed by law.”
Related: On the Proposed 2024 Budget
There is no such thing as “Legalized Corruption” in Congress via a concurrent resolution – much less one with my involvement, as claimed by some sectors who are either misinformed or seeking to disinform – or both.
As a background, I was tasked to file the said resolution – Concurrent Resolution No. 10 – which actually sought more accountability by justifying the liquidation of funds through the submission of receipts. Before this, lawmakers had been allowed to liquidate funds merely through certification since Congress reopened in 1987.
Concurrent Resolution No. 10, adopted in 2011, takes into account members of Congress extending immediate response and assistance to constituents outside our legislative work such as medical assistance – but is not inconsistent with Article IX-D Sec 2 (1) of the 1987 Constitution, where nothing can prevent the Commission on Audit (COA) from exercising its post-audit function.
Thus, while the Concurrent Resolution allows certification by individual legislators to disburse funds allocated to their respective offices, it does not excuse ANYONE from liquidating through official receipts and other verifiable documents, much less from being audited by the Commission on Audit – as NOBODY in government is exempted from COA audit.
For the record, throughout my years in public service, I have always been consistent in complying with all the existing COA regulations, much more with the required submission of liquidation instruments when I was in the Senate. Thus, when the COA first conducted a special audit of Congress, I was the first one who submitted the receipts and related documents.
*****
From Inquirer.net: Government project funding has allegedly been bloated by 328 percent after receiving “double, triple, quadruple and quintuple” appropriations this year–but hidden in the 2024 national budget, former Sen. Panfilo Lacson said.
Continue reading “Lacson reveals some gov’t project funding bloated by staggering 328% [Inquirer]”
A timeline of former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s revelations on the 2024 National Budget:
From the Inquirer: To be sure, Magalong’s uncompromising stand against the unremitting greed of some public officials has also gained support from his allies, including former senator Panfilo Lacson, his fellow retired police general who fought against the pork barrel system.
Continue reading “Editorial: Joining Magalong’s lonely crusade [Inquirer]”
Umaasa si Senador Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson na ipagpapatuloy ng mga Senador ng 19th Congress ang krusada sa pagbubusisi at pagbabantay sa national budget laban sa mga kuwestiyunableng congressional insertions (a.k.a “pork barrel”) at mga hindi kapaki-pakinabang na appropriations.
“I hope somebody will take the cudgels and continue the fight because while the Supreme Court has ruled pork barrel as unconstitutional, there are so many ways to go around it,” pahayag ni Lacson sa media noong Linggo ng gabi sa Pasay City.
Idinagdag din ng Senador na magtatapos ang termino sa ika-30 ng Hunyo, na makakatulong nang husto sa budget scrutiny ang ilang miyembro ng kaniyang staff na ngayo’y magiging bahagi na rin ng opisina ng ibang mga senador.
Related: Lacson Hopes 19th Congress Senators to Continue Budget Scrutiny
Continue reading “Lacson sa 19th Congress Senators: Ipagpatuloy Niyong Bantayan at Busisiin ang Kaban ng Bayan!”
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is hoping senators in the 19th Congress will continue his crusade of tenaciously scrutinizing the national budget and keeping it free from dubious congressional insertions (a.k.a. “pork barrel”) and useless appropriations.
“I hope somebody will take the cudgels and continue the fight because while the Supreme Court has ruled pork barrel as unconstitutional, there are so many ways to go around it,” Lacson, who ends his Senate term on June 30, told media in Pasay City Sunday evening.
He added some members of his staff who have joined other senators can be a great help in scrutinizing the budget for dubious insertions.
Related: Lacson sa 19th Congress Senators: Ipagpatuloy Niyong Bantayan at Busisiin ang Kaban ng Bayan!
Continue reading “Lacson Hopes 19th Congress Senators to Continue Budget Scrutiny”
Mas magiging epektibo at matagumpay ang mga hakbang para basagin ang “vicious cycle” ng korapsiyon, kung makikiisa at magiging aktibo ang publiko sa laban na ito.
Isa ito sa mga nakikitang solusyon ni Senador Panfilo Lacson, sa harap ng katotohanan na naging ugali na ng mga nasasangkot na magpalamig at manahimik lamang muna hanggang sa tuluyan nang makalimutan ng tao ang kanilang ginawa.
“Some officials have lost all sense of shame. Even if charges are filed against them, they just lie low because they know that once the issue dies down and the public no longer thinks much of it, they can go back to their old ways,” banggit ni Lacson sa panayam ng Radyo Katribu.
“That said, the vicious cycle of corruption is not limited to those in government. It takes two to tango: those who corrupt – and the public who wittingly or otherwise turns a blind eye,” dagdag ng mambabatas.
Read in ENGLISH: Lacson: Time for Public to Help End Vicious Cycle of Corruption
Continue reading “Ping: Panahon na Para Publiko ay Umayuda sa Pagsugpo ng Korapsiyon”
It is high time to end the vicious cycle involving corruption cases where those involved lie low until the issue dies down – and the public can play a more active role to achieve this, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Friday.
Lacson, who has actively participated in many Senate investigations involving corruption cases, said those involved have become brazen in pocketing public funds by exploiting such a cycle.
“Some officials have lost all sense of shame. Even if charges are filed against them, they just lie low because they know that once the issue dies down and the public no longer thinks much of it, they can go back to their old ways,” he said in an interview on Radyo Katribu.
“That said, the vicious cycle of corruption is not limited to those in government. It takes two to tango: those who corrupt – and the public who wittingly or otherwise turns a blind eye,” he added.
Basahin sa TAGALOG: Ping: Panahon na Para Publiko ay Umayuda sa Pagsugpo ng Korapsiyon
Continue reading “Lacson: Time for Public to Help End Vicious Cycle of Corruption”
Puwedeng gamitin para ipambili ng kinakailangan na P20 bilyon na karagdagang bakuna ngayong taon ang bilyon-bilyong congressional insertions na minarkahan ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) na for later release (FLR).
Iminungkahi ito ni Senador Panfilo Lacson matapos na makausap nitong nakaraang Huwebes ang tatlong czar na nangangasiwa ng mga programa laban sa COVID-19.
“I suggested that the P20 billion can be sourced from the insertions made by lawmakers marked ‘FLR’ because the implementing agencies concerned were not consulted on the insertions and thus could not implement them,” pagbubunyag ni Lacson sa panayam sa kanya ng DWIZ nitong Sabado.
Related: Lacson: Cut Humongous Congressional Insertions for P20B Vaccine Needs
Continue reading “Ping: Malaking Congressional Insertions, Tapyasan Muna Para Pambakuna”
Why not use the humongous congressional insertions tagged by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as “For Later Release” (FLR) to meet the P20-billion requirement for COVID vaccines for this year?
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson raised the possibility following a meeting between him and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and the “three czars” of the government’s COVID response program last Thursday.
“I suggested that the P20 billion can be sourced from the insertions made by lawmakers marked ‘FLR’ because the implementing agencies concerned were not consulted on the insertions and thus could not implement them,” he said in an interview on DWIZ radio Saturday.
Related: Ping: Malaking Congressional Insertions, Tapyasan Muna Para Pambakuna
Continue reading “Lacson: Cut Humongous Congressional Insertions for P20B Vaccine Needs”
Without the certainty of punishment, the conviction of “pork barrel scam queen” Janet Lim-Napoles will not be enough to stop the menace of pork barrel and its iterations, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Saturday.
Lacson, who had battled the pork barrel system since 2001, lamented that not even the Supreme Court’s ruling outlawing pork in 2013 managed to stop the practice since those involved would merely find a way to circumvent it.
“Have we solved the problem of ensuring public funds are used properly instead of going to the pockets of corrupt people? Can we be sure projects are free of bribery and other forms of corruption? These are questions that we must ask ourselves, and we can easily verify the answers – it takes two to tango,” he said in an interview on DWIZ radio.
In an interview with Malou Mangahas, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* Tarlac shooting incident
* Need for proactive stance vs terrorism
* Pork barrel system
* Fight vs corruption
MORE DETAILS:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: The Mangahas Interviews”
From Lito Banayo’s column in the Manila Standard: Those who know the man enough also know that he would rather fight the good fight, regardless of the odds, a seeming Don Quixote jousting against the windmills of evil, fighting the unbeatable foe, regardless of public approbation or disapproval from peers—outlier if need be—just to be consistent with what upon his graduation from the Philippine Military Academy in the Class of 1971, he vowed: “What is right must be kept right; what is wrong must be set right.”
Not even the pandemic and its crippling effects could stop the greed of some lawmakers as they toyed around with the P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson lamented Friday.
Lacson said this after the bicameral report on the budget showed not only manipulations in the Department of Public Works and Highways’ budget, but also cuts in the budgets of other departments previously approved under the Senate and House versions of the budget bill.
“Congress bicameral committee report: P83.87B of DPWH infra projects migrated to new areas while appropriations worth P55.52B disappeared. As if it wasn’t enough to satisfy their greed, they cut the budgets of other departments by P28.35B. Story of our lives,” he said on his Twitter account.
“These realignments being capricious and arbitrary on the part of the bicameral conference committee members, they did not involve proper planning by the DPWH. This explains why, as I have pointed out in my interpellation last Wednesday, year in and year out, DPWH suffers one of the lowest budget utilization rates with an annual average of P82 billion from 2011 to 2018 and even lower average disbursement rate since 2017,” he added.
Dubious items in the Department of Public Works and Highways’ budget for 2021 – including double and overlapping appropriations – could be a key starting point for Malacañang in reviewing the P4.5-trillion 2021 budget bill, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said.
Lacson, who bared and questioned such irregularities in the DPWH’s budget in committee hearings all the way to the plenary, said he is willing to help in the review by pointing out items for potential veto.
“It is clear that questionable items such as double and overlapping appropriations should be vetoed, along with at least 793 line items for multi-purpose buildings with a uniform P1-million appropriation each,” he said in an interview on DZRH radio Thursday evening.
To the Daily Tribune: We wish to set the record straight regarding your commentary that insinuated motives – again – to Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson’s exposing of questionable items in the P4.5-trillion budget for 2021.
Continue reading “Letter to the Editor: Reply to Commentary [Tribune]”
In an interview on DZBB, Sen. Lacson addressed questions on:
* realigning P68B in ‘skeleton projects’ for areas hit by recent typhoons
* reports of getting COVID-19 vaccine
MORE DETAILS:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: P68B Skeleton Projects, Isantabi Muna sa 2021”
On the first day of floor deliberations on the P4.5-trillion 2021 budget bill, Sen. Lacson revealed several ‘skeleton projects‘ of the DPWH to illustrate “how acts of corruption are committed than by the misuse and abuse of public funds. Not anymore by the hundreds of thousands but by the millions of pesos wasted during implementation of the national budget.”
Sen. Lacson suggested that the funds for the skeleton projects, including at least P68B for multi-purpose buildings (MPBs) go to items that need funding more in the budget, such as the National Broadband Program. He also questioned the ‘FLR’ (For Later Release) practice of the DBM.
MORE DETAILS:
Continue reading “Skeleton Infra Projects! First Day of Senate Floor Deliberations on the 2021 Budget”
The DPWH Secretary has full authority to assign personnel under his department, including the district engineers, unless he delegates it to his regional directors or if Malacañang overrides the assignments on very few occasions.
We also know that district representatives almost always use their influence in having their “favorite” district engineers assigned to their districts for a very obvious purpose: to have full control in the implementation of their “pet projects” funded by their insertions in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).
The question is, can the DPWH Secretary stand up to the pressure exerted on him by the congressmen? As we already know, the answer is obviously no. And no matter how the secretary denies it, nobody is ready to believe him. We also know that it is the root cause of corruption.
Almost anything that has to do with politics in this country breeds corruption. Politics becomes evil when self-aggrandizement and greed come into play – whether it is in aid of reelection or enrichment of an elected official while in power, the result is the same. Worse, these people do not know when to stop once they have started.
We only need to drive around the country to see and experience it everyday, in the form of dilapidated and substandard roads and bridges and other infrastructure projects. Potholes and clogged drainage are commonplace during and after the rains; worn-out infra projects even only after a few years of construction and inaugurations, and many more evidence in plain sight.
This is the main reason why I abhor and remain outspoken against the pork barrel system more than a decade before the Supreme Court ruled on its unconstitutionality in 2013. The national budget is the most violated, if not the most abused law of the land. The abominable part is, the violators are lawmakers and those tasked to implement the GAA. That is why we are so screwed up as a country for as long as we remember politicians.
*****
In an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* P1-M ‘uniform’ appropriations for at least 42 congressional districts in DPWH’s 2021 budget
* need to prioritize vaccines, R&D in 2021 budget
QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: ‘Uniform’ Appropriations for Several Districts Spotted in DPWH’s 2021 Budget”
In an interview on CNN Philippines, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* ‘violations’ by the House in passing the P4.5-trillion 2021 budget bill
* possible institutional amendments for R&D, COVID vaccines
* implementing rules and regulations of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020
QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: Updates on the 2021 Budget, Anti-Terror Law IRR”
Last Oct. 16, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading the P4.5-trillion proposed national budget for 2021. Yet as of today, it continues to tackle amendments via the so-called “small group.”
Art. VI, Sec. 26, Paragraph 2 of the 1987 Constitution is unequivocally clear, regardless of where the amendments will come from. Wala namang sinasabi ang Constitution na pag naghahabol ng “errata,” hindi ito applicable: “Upon the last reading of a bill, NO AMENDMENT THERETO SHALL BE ALLOWED, and the vote thereon shall be taken immediately thereafter, and the yeas and nays entered in the Journal.”
The claim of the House Appropriations Committee chair that the “errata” a.k.a. amendments will come from the implementing agencies and not from the individual House members will further muddle an already constitutionally infirm and error-filled budget measure. Why? The authorization part of the four-phase budget process is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress, and the executive should deal only with budget preparation and execution.
No amount of technicalities and sweet-talk maneuvers can correct a flawed budget that is supposed to address the problems and concerns of more than 100 million Filipinos.
It is time that we correct the mindset of the so-called representatives of the people in this regard.
*****
If the House of Representatives’ transmittal of the General Appropriations Bill to the Senate will be on Nov. 5 or 6, there is no assurance that we can pass the budget on time and thus avoid a re-enacted budget.
As they have promised the President, they will approve the GAB on third and final reading today, Oct. 16, and it only takes one week to print, so why Nov. 5?
Not only is the delay unacceptable. It is difficult to understand, unless there are plans to amend the bill after the third reading.
That said, the House leadership should be reminded to adhere to Art. VI, Sec. 26 of the Constitution that says: “Upon the last reading of a bill, no amendment thereto shall be allowed…xxx”
Amid promises of “best efforts” to transmit the budget bill by end-October, if the House still ends up transmitting the bill on Nov. 5, does it mean that the description “House of the People” is all lip service?
*****
In an interview on DZBB/GMA News TV, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* effect of reenacted budget on COVID-19 response in 2021
* connection between DPWH lump sums and delay of budget bill in the House of Representatives
QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: Walang Pondo para sa COVID-19 Vaccine/Response sa 2021 kung Reenacted ang Budget”
Between Oct. 12 and 14 when the Senate is originally scheduled to receive the transmittal of the General Appropriations Bill from the House of Representatives, and Nov. 17 when the Speaker said they will be able to transmit the same to us, is definitely not a one-day difference as claimed by Speaker Cayetano.
With that said, I have just suggested to the Speaker if it’s possible for him to resume their session, which is merely suspended and not adjourned, before All Saints’ Day just to approve on third and final reading the House version of the budget measure and thereafter transmit the same to us.
I also told him the senators, especially the finance committee vice chairpersons, need at least one week to study the House version and submit to the mother committee our reports. Another week will be needed for the finance committee to consolidate everything and file its committee report. In so doing, we can start floor debates immediately after we resume session on Nov. 16, or even before that.
That is the only way we can ensure the timely passage of the budget measure. We cannot afford an impasse involving the most important piece of legislation that Congress has to pass: the national budget, which I have consistently regarded as the lifeblood of our economy, if not our country.
*****
In an interview with Senate media, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* likely delay in passage of 2021 budget
* Sec. Duque’s new post at the World Health Organization
QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: Likely Delay in Passage of 2021 Budget; Sec. Duque’s WHO Post”
In an interview on DZBB/GNTV, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* options on further actions regarding anomalies at PhilHealth
* possible use of questionable sums in DPWH budget to address budget shortage for health care in 2021
QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: Sec. Duque, ‘Di Pa Lusot sa PhilHealth Mess; DPWH Lump Sums, Pondohan ang Universal Health Care?”
In an interview on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* DPWH’s ‘addendum’ in the 2021 budget
* Ombudsman Martires’ policies on SALN, lifestyle check
QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: Mahiwagang ‘Addendum’ ng DPWH sa 2021 Budget”
This early, we are already seeing the ugly effects of “pork.”
More than the possible delay in the passage of the 2021 national budget, any ugly squabble in plenary over the distribution of earmarks a.k.a. “pork” is exactly that – ugly.
When statesmanship goes out the window, our people’s respect towards the legislature as an institution as well as its individual members somehow dissipates.
Any way we look at it, it is sad and lamentable, to say the least.
Having said that, the total amount representing P135 billion covering 5,913 reappropriated items and P396 billion in lump sum appropriations lodged in the central office of the DPWH may need further clarification.
It is basic that once an infra project has started its implementation, it is already obligated. Hence, there can be no partial cash allocation, unless that project is discontinued, cancelled, or terminated. Then, the unused portion of the appropriation becomes savings that may be realigned. Or, if the project is covered by Multi Year Contractual Authority (MYCA), formerly known as MYOA or Multi Year Obligational Authority which is clearly spelled out and provided in the 2020 GAA, the same item can reappear in the succeeding budget year.
We were not born yesterday as far as budgeting is concerned.
*****
In our continuing efforts to scrutinize the 2021 National Expenditure Program, particularly on the issue of “re-appropriations” and “lump sum appropriations” involving infrastructure projects under the DPWH, we have found that the initial amount of P73.5 billion covering 2,933 items has now ballooned to P135.8 billion involving 5,913 projects – thus effectively increasing the total questionable appropriations to P532.3 billion from the initial P469 billion that we exposed earlier, including lump sums in the amount of P396.4 billion.
Considering the projects under “Operations” in the proposed budget of the DPWH has total appropriations of P613.1 billion, easily 87 percent or P532.3 billion is deemed questionable.
Having said all that, a legal question needs to be addressed as we progress in our plenary budget deliberations: Will this kind of “errata” be allowed by the Senate, or Congress for that matter, if the items to be rectified do not involve simple typographical errors or other similar minor errors like interchanged or misplaced items in the NEP?
Therefore, if my colleagues will not allow such major rectification, we may see a 2021 GAA that is reduced by more than half a trillion pesos.
*****
In an interview on ANC, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* items in the proposed budget for 2021
* PhilHealth anomalies
* appointment of Cezar Mancao II to DICT
QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: ‘Haggling’ in DPWH’s Budget for 2021?”
In an interview with Senate media, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* PhilHealth committee report
* questionable items in the 2021 budget
* ‘Designated Survivor’ legislation
QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: PhilHealth Committee Report, 2021 Budget, ‘Designated Survivor’ Legislation”
A blog post by Raissa Robles insinuating that I stealthily inserted Section 25 into Republic Act 11479 – the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 – is malicious and untrue, to say the least.
I abhor violations of the legislative process, and have called out members of Congress for such acts – such as when they inserted their pork barrel in the National Budget bill after its approval on third and final reading or ratification of the bicameral conference committee report, and before the bill was enrolled.
Why, then, would I make such a stealthy insertion to the Anti-Terrorism Bill as Robles implies?
In an interview on DZBB/GMA News TV, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* possible supplemental budget to deal with COVID-19 [0:26]
* at least P989B unused from 2019 budget [2:40]
* local officials naipit sa Social Amelioration Program [17:39]
* DBM circular barring release of 35% of 2020 budget’s appropriations [19:45]
* lockdown until June? [24:17]
NOTES and QUOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: ECQ Extension, Supplemental Budget vs COVID-19 Needed?”
At the Commission on Appointments, Sen. Lacson supported the confirmation of Wendel Avisado as Department of Budget and Management Secretary.
Sen. Lacson urged Sec. Avisado to continue budget reforms at the DBM. “(President Duterte) cannot do it without your input and wise counsel. Please continue what you started,” he said.
Earlier, Sen. Lacson thanked Avisado for requiring agencies to obtain certifications from Regional Development Councils before including their projects in the national budget. “This is a step in the right direction that we must follow,” he said.
He also lauded the DBM for withholding at least P80B in congressional realignments at the expense of the “Build, Build, Build” flagship program.
Nagkaroon ng “hatchet job” laban kay Senador Panfilo Lacson matapos niyang isiwalat ang pagkakaharang ng Malacañang sa tinatayang P80 bilyong realignment sa 2020 national budget.
Nakarating sa senador ang paglutang ng pekeng impormasyon na ini-sponsor niya ang isang proyektong kalsada sa Tarlac City sa kabila ng patakaran nito na huwag magpatupad ng proyekto gamit ang pork barrel.
“First, I don’t realign appropriations for road projects, much less local roads since it smacks of a pork barrel allocation. Also, the realignments I propose in the national budget are institutional – meaning, they have undergone planning and vetting, and are based on requests from the implementing agencies concerned,” mariing paliwanag ni Lacson.
Ang nabanggit na pahayag ay ginawa ni Lacson bilang pagpapasinungaling sa lumabas na impormasyon na siya ang nag-sponsor sa P25-milyong road concreting project sa Barangay San Rafael, Tarlac City.
Related: Hatchet Job? Lacson Scores ‘Disinformation’ on Tarlac Road Project
Continue reading “Hatchet Job: Ping, ‘Ibinida’ sa Road Project sa Tarlac”
Is it a smear job meant to discredit Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson and his anti-pork advocacy?
Lacson was tagged as the “sponsor” of a local item in the P4.1-trillion budget for 2020: a P25-million road concreting project in Barangay San Rafael in Tarlac City.
“First, I don’t realign appropriations for road projects, much less local roads since it smacks of a pork barrel allocation. Also, the realignments I propose in the national budget are institutional – meaning, they have undergone planning and vetting, and are based on requests from the implementing agencies concerned,” Lacson said.
He noted the disinformation appeared to come after Malacañang and the Department of Budget and Management withheld at least P80 billion in congressional realignments made by some lawmakers, at the expense of the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” flagship program.
Related: Hatchet Job: Ping, ‘Ibinida’ sa Road Project sa Tarlac
Continue reading “Hatchet Job? Lacson Scores ‘Disinformation’ on Tarlac Road Project”
Unmitigated gall. This best describes some lawmakers who realigned at least P80 billion from the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” flagship program to their districts’ “pet projects” under the 2020 national budget.
Thus, I support the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte and the Department of Budget and Management to withhold the release of these congressional realignments.
This is one reason why I continue to support the leadership of President Duterte in spite of some disagreements with him over some policy issues: He has time and again displayed the strong political will, even against many self-proclaimed allies in Congress whose loyalty clearly lies where the money lies.
Such “allies” have the propensity to praise him to high heavens and never criticize him, but with self-aggrandizement and greed as their only motivation and nothing else. The President should always be wary of these so-called allies.
*****
In an interview on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– Priorities of Archie Gamboa as new PNP chief
– P4B cut in 2020 calamity fund going to pork?
QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: Payo sa Bagong Chief PNP; Kaltas sa 2020 Calamity Fund”
In an interview with media in Lingayen, Pangasinan, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– VP Robredo’s claim that the war vs drugs is a ‘massive failure’
– Filipinos affected by tension in the Middle East
– pork in the 2020 budget
– PNP physical fitness policy
QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: ‘Early’ Judgment of Anti-Drug War; ‘Veto’ vs Pork in 2020 Budget | Jan. 8, 2020”
