Tag: budget

Posted on

Ping Lacson More Emboldened to Fight Pork in Budget after President’s SONA

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is now more emboldened to fight pork barrel and other anomalies in the budget, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stressed there should be no repeat of the mangling of the 2025 budget in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday.

Lacson, an avowed enemy of the pork barrel system, also cited other positive developments from House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman that further fuel his drive to keep the budgeting process transparent and corruption-free.

“I will help because this is something I have been doing for so long. But now I and my staff are more emboldened to go after pork barrel because the President himself said he will not sign a budget bill that does not align with the National Expenditure Program,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio Tuesday.

In Filipino: Ping Lacson, Lalong Lumakas ang Loob na Labanan ang ‘Pork’ sa Budget Matapos ang SONA ng Pangulo

Continue reading “Ping Lacson More Emboldened to Fight Pork in Budget after President’s SONA”

Posted on

Ping Lacson: Half of P2-Trillion Flood Control Allocations May Have Been Lost to Corruption

Half of the almost P2 trillion allocations for flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) may have been lost to corruption, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Sunday.

Lacson also reiterated his call for a review of the government’s mechanisms for preparation, planning and implementation in addressing the flooding problem.

“Climate change has been tagged as a factor in the flooding problem but it has become a convenient excuse for some. We need to see where we can improve in terms of preparation, planning and implementation. We also cannot discount that of the P2 trillion in allocations, P1 trillion may have ended up in some people’s pockets,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

In Filipino: Ping Lacson: P1 Trilyon sa Pondong Pang-Flood Control, Maaaring Nawala sa Katiwalian

Continue reading “Ping Lacson: Half of P2-Trillion Flood Control Allocations May Have Been Lost to Corruption”

Posted on

Ping Lacson Disowns Documents on Senate President’s “Budget Insertion”

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Saturday disowned the documents that supposedly linked Senate President Francis Escudero to P142.7 billion in insertions in the 2025 national budget.

Lacson said the documents could not have come from him as his research on the national budget for 2025 and earlier years is still ongoing.

“I can clearly speak for myself… The supposed documents on the insertions did not come from me because my research on the 2025 budget is still ongoing. We have not reached the point where we have scrutinized the budget item for item,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DWIZ radio, when asked about the issue.

In Filipino: Ping Lacson: Hindi Sa Akin Galing ang Dokumento sa “Budget Insertion” ni SP Escudero

Continue reading “Ping Lacson Disowns Documents on Senate President’s “Budget Insertion””

Posted on

Ping Lacson Presses Long-Term, Integrated Master Planning for Flood Control

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Saturday pressed for a long-term and integrated master plan for flood management, in the wake of the devastation caused by days of flooding brought by recent cyclones and the southwest monsoon.

Lacson said it is time to review the present flood management programs, including how almost P2 trillion in funding in the last 15 years was spent, and hold the concerned parties accountable.

“What happened to the huge amounts we spent in the last 15 years? Was there any progress? If the flood control policies and programs were not effective, we should see where we went wrong and make the needed corrections,” he said in Filipino, in interviews on DZRH and DWIZ.

“For accountability, we need to see how the funds were spent and find out who were responsible for it,” he added.

In Filipino: Ping Lacson, Itinulak ang Long-Term, Integrated na Master Planning para sa Flood Control

Continue reading “Ping Lacson Presses Long-Term, Integrated Master Planning for Flood Control”

Posted on

Ping Lacson to Actively Call Out ‘Pork’ in Budget Even as Minority Bloc Member

Ending up in the minority bloc will not stop Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson from calling out “pork barrel” and other irregularities in the budget – including the proposed national budget for 2026.

Lacson, who earned a reputation as a watchdog of the budget, said Monday that he intends to participate actively in committee hearings and plenary debates on the spending bill.

“Hindi ko iiwanan ang aking tungkulin lalo na sa pagbantay ng national budget (I will not abandon my duty especially in keeping watch over the national budget),” he said in an interview on True FM.

In Filipino: Ping Lacson, Magiging Aktibo vs ‘Pork’ sa Budget Kahit Wala sa Mayorya

Continue reading “Ping Lacson to Actively Call Out ‘Pork’ in Budget Even as Minority Bloc Member”