Tag: Catalina Cabral

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Lacson: Blue Ribbon Panel Pushing Ban on Allocables and Leadership Fund

Abolish the system of allocables and the “leadership fund” from the national budget, strengthen transparency in the budget process, and expand the powers of the Office of the Ombudsman to pursue corruption cases.

Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Tuesday that these are among the emerging recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s probe into anomalous flood control projects.

These are aside from the Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearings being instrumental in the ongoing preliminary investigations of the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman into key figures involved in the scandal – including former and incumbent lawmakers – as well as the trial happening at the Sandiganbayan, he emphasized.

Lacson pointed out that “almost all the recommendations in the partial committee report have already been overtaken by events as they are already being undertaken and in fact the said preliminary investigations are nearing completion if not completed already.”

“(Kasama sa rekomendasyon ng komite ang) ibawal ang allocables at leadership fund. Ito ang reporma tungkol sa budget. Tapos gawing transparent, of course ginawa namin sa 2026 budget, transparent ang entire budgeting process (Among the committee’s recommendations are to ban allocables and the leadership fund as part of reforms in the budgeting system. And make the crafting of the budget transparent, similar to what we did for the 2026 General Appropriations Act),” Lacson said in an interview on DZBB radio.

In Filipino: Lacson: Blue Ribbon Panel, Itinutulak ang Pagbabawal sa Allocables at Leadership Fund

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Lacson: DPWH, Cabral Files Show At Least 5 Cabinet Secretaries Had Allocables and/or Non-Allocables in 2025 Budget

Documents from the camp of the late Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Catalina Cabral and from the DPWH itself showed at least five Cabinet members and even some undersecretaries had allocables and/or non-allocables amounting to billions of pesos in the 2025 budget, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.

Lacson said these include one “ES” who had P8.3 billion, and ex-DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, whose allocables for 2025 alone amounted to at least P30.5 billion.

“At least five Cabinet secretaries and some undersecretaries had allocables and/or non-allocables, according to the documents. I was surprised at one entry that said ‘ES, P8 billion.’ How did one ‘ES’ get allocables?” he said in English and Filipino in an interview on DWIZ.

“For Bonoan, I saw his allocables include P5 billion, plus three more batches totaling P25.5 billion, so P30.5 billion in all. What is his right to the allocables? Also, I saw the other Cabinet secretaries getting P2 billion each. Why?” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: 5 Cabinet Secretaries May Allocables at/o Non-Allocables sa 2025 Budget, Base sa DPWH at Cabral Files

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Lacson Calls for Inter-Agency Probe Into Budget Insertion Claims, Warns vs ‘Cover-Up’

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson called for a genuine inter-agency investigation into claims linking Cabinet officials to multibillion-peso budget insertions for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) infrastructure projects, as he warned that prematurely dismissing them risks the perception of a “cover-up.”

Lacson said it is too early for Malacanang to brand claims related to the insertions as “hearsay” especially since significant evidence had been unearthed, mainly from hearings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee which he chairs.

“Instead of pursuing an honest-to-goodness inter-agency investigation by using whatever probative value was unearthed mainly from the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings, to prematurely dismiss the probable involvement of some members of the Cabinet as ‘hearsay’ may be interpreted as a euphemism for ‘cover-up,’” Lacson said.

In Filipino: Lacson, Nanawagan ng Inter-Agency Probe sa Umano’y Budget Insertions ng Ilang Cabinet Members; Nagbabala vs ‘Cover-Up’

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Lacson: Senators Elected in 2025 Not Included in Leviste Claim on Budget Insertions

Senators who were elected last May are not among those who had budget insertions in the 2025 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as claimed by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.

Lacson said the records cited by Leviste, which supposedly showed senators’ insertions in the DPWH’s 2025 budget amounting to P120 billion, refer to a budget that was approved by the 19th Congress, months before the May midterm elections.

“Congressman Leviste should at least qualify his statement with the phrase ‘in the 19th Congress’ in fairness to the new members of the 20th Congress, including myself and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, among others,” he said.

“That said, even during the previous Congresses, I never partook of allocables or pork barrel allocations, or whatever names they were called,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: Mga Senador na Nahalal noong Mayo, Hindi Kabilang sa Mga Mayroong 2025 Budget Insertions

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Lacson Welcomes Leviste Efforts to Secure Documents on Corruption in Infra Projects

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson welcomed on Monday efforts – including those by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste – to secure documents and other materials that may further help in the investigation into the corruption behind anomalous infrastructure projects.

Lacson said that while he is not privy to the contents of the documents Leviste supposedly received from the late Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral, he is glad that Leviste has the initiative to secure the files.

“For me, I’m glad that there is a Rep. Leandro Leviste who I think is hardworking enough to secure material documents that may help shed light on the ongoing investigations related to anomalous infra projects involving several corrupt government officials,” he said.

In Filipino: Pagsisikap ni Leviste na Ma-Secure ang mga Dokumento ni Cabral, Welcome kay Lacson

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