Tag: DENR

On the Initial Expose on Corruption by Sen. Manny Pacquiao

Screengrab of Sen. Pacquiao’s virtual press conference July 3

Without details backed by documents or at least sworn statements executed by his witnesses, if any, there may not be sufficient basis for the Senate to conduct a hearing although the Blue Ribbon Committee is allowed to conduct investigation in aid of legislation even without referral.

It now behooves the Chairman to make the call on the issue at hand.

Meantime, the onus is on Sen. Pacquiao at the very least to show some specifics in support of his allegations, which by its nature are serious, not to mention sensitive.

It can better serve the purpose of the expose if relevant documents that he said he has would be submitted to the Senate President or the Blue Ribbon Committee, so we can assess what next move to take on the issues that he presented in yesterday’s virtual press conference.

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Lacson Renews Call for Transparency in Congressional Amendments to the 2021 Budget

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson renewed his call to fellow lawmakers for transparency, “particularly our amendments in the 2021 budget bill.”

Lacson stressed transparency is crucial to dispel suspicions of “compromises and personal interests in our proposed amendments.”

“If we have nothing to hide, we have to make our amendments public, as I have done in my case, so those amendments can be scrutinized by the media as well as the public. It is the mandate of Congress to make amendments to the budget bill; we cannot just adopt the National Expenditure Program in toto,” he said in an interview on DZRH radio Friday evening.

Continue reading “Lacson Renews Call for Transparency in Congressional Amendments to the 2021 Budget”

Pondong Pang-Ayuda vs Epekto ng COVID-19, Iminungkahi ni Ping sa 2021 Budget

Isinusulong ni Senador Panfilo Lacson ang pag-amyenda sa ilang nilalaman ng P4.5 trilyon na gastusin para sa susunod na taon, upang pondohan ang mga programang tutugon sa epekto ng COVID-19.

Ayon kay Lacson, kailangang masigurado ang pondo para sa pagbangon ng mga sektor ng kalusugan at ekonomiya bunga ng pagkalugmok na inabot ng mga ito sa mahabang panahon ng pananalasa sa bansa ng nabanggit na pandemya.

“First things first. We should first address the pandemic and its effects: Health issues, development, recovery of the economy. Those are what we need to address in the 2021 budget,” paliwanag ni Lacson sa panayam sa ABS-CBN News Channel.

“I want the budget to be responsive to the sign of the times. I want it to be responsive to the budget philosophy of Reset, Rebound, Recover. These are what we need for 2021. Not the multi-purpose buildings, not the double appropriations, not the right-of-way payments that cannot be accomplished anyway,” dagdag ng mambabatas.

Related: Lacson Bares Proposed Amendments to Ensure ‘Responsive’ 2021 Budget
Continue reading “Pondong Pang-Ayuda vs Epekto ng COVID-19, Iminungkahi ni Ping sa 2021 Budget”

Lacson Bares Proposed Amendments to Ensure ‘Responsive’ 2021 Budget

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson on Wednesday bared details of proposed amendments to the P4.5-trillion 2021 budget bill to make sure it is responsive to the sign of the times.

Lacson said these proposed amendments include augmenting the budgets to ensure health, development and economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Also, Lacson said he is open to passing a special budget or special law like the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act to allow the President to realign funds to purchase COVID-19 vaccines.

“I want the budget to be responsive to the sign of the times. I want it to be responsive to the budget philosophy of Reset, Rebound, Recover. These are what we need for 2021. Not the multi-purpose buildings, not the double appropriations, not the right-of-way payments that cannot be accomplished anyway,” he said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.

“First things first. We should first address the pandemic and its effects: Health issues, development, recovery of the economy. Those are what we need to address in the 2021 budget,” he added.

Related: Pondong Pang-Ayuda vs Epekto ng COVID-19, Iminungkahi ni Ping sa 2021 Budget
Continue reading “Lacson Bares Proposed Amendments to Ensure ‘Responsive’ 2021 Budget”

Ping, Nakahanap ng Pondo Para sa ‘Landmark’ Programs ng Duterte Administration

Isinulong ni Senador Panfilo Lacson na madagdagan ang pondo para sa implementasyon ng National ID, Universal Health Care at Quality Tertiary Education sa 2020, sa pamamagitan ng realignment sa ilang malalabong gastusin sa 2020 budget.

Ayon kay Lacson, kakarampot ang inilaan ng orihinal na panukalang badyet para sa tatlong maituturing na “landmark” na programa ng kasalukuyang administrasyon.

“The National ID system needs at least P5.565 billion in 2020 to cover the registration of some 14 million Filipinos and resident aliens. But the proposed 2020 budget presently allocates only P2.4 billion under the unprogrammed fund for it. This amount covers only 6.3 million Filipinos,” pagsisiwalat ng senador.

Related: Lacson Eyes Pork, Other Duplicative Projects to Fund National ID, UHC, Tertiary Education Act in 2020 Budget
Continue reading “Ping, Nakahanap ng Pondo Para sa ‘Landmark’ Programs ng Duterte Administration”

Lacson Eyes Pork, Other Duplicative Projects to Fund National ID, UHC, Tertiary Education Act in 2020 Budget

Several funded items in the P4.1-trillion proposed national budget for 2020 can be realigned to more worthwhile programs to fund three landmark laws passed under the present administration: the PhilSys Act (National ID) program, Universal Health Care Act, and the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said.

Lacson lamented the National ID measure, which was passed into law in 2018 after he championed it in the Senate, could not reach its potential because of a severe funding gap.

“There are many items in the 2020 budget that can be realigned for the National ID. One of them is the National Greening Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” he said in an interview on DZMM Wednesday.

Related: Ping, Nakahanap ng Pondo Para sa ‘Landmark’ Programs ng Duterte Administration
Continue reading “Lacson Eyes Pork, Other Duplicative Projects to Fund National ID, UHC, Tertiary Education Act in 2020 Budget”

Interview on DZMM: Funding for National ID in 2020 | Nov. 20, 2019

In an interview on DZMM, Sen. Lacson answered questions on addressing the funding gap for the National ID system in 2020.

National ID Thumbnail

QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “Interview on DZMM: Funding for National ID in 2020 | Nov. 20, 2019”

Patas Dapat! Ping, Isinapubliko ang Institutional Amendments sa 2019 Budget

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Dapat walang itinatago sa publiko at klaro ang mga detalye ng paglalaanan ng pambansang gastusin ng pamahalaan.

Ito ang matapang na panuntunan ni Senador Panfilo Lacson sa pagsapubliko ng kanyang institutional amendments sa 2019 national budget, na kasalukuyang tinatalakay ng bicameral conference committee.

“In the spirit of transparency, I instructed my staff to make public all my amendments in the 2019 national budget,” paglalahad ni Lacson sa kanyang Twitter account.

“I hope all proponents will do the same to remove all suspicions that the bicameral conference is a venue for sneaky horse trading among legislators,” dagdag ng mambabatas.

Related:
In the Spirit of Transparency: Lacson Details Institutional Amendments to 2019 Budget
List: Institutional Amendments Proposed by Sen. Lacson in the 2019 Budget
Continue reading “Patas Dapat! Ping, Isinapubliko ang Institutional Amendments sa 2019 Budget”

In the Spirit of Transparency: Lacson Details Institutional Amendments to 2019 Budget

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Citing the need for transparency, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson has made public the details of the institutional amendments he proposed in the P3.7-trillion national budget for 2019.

Lacson expressed hope other proponents of amendments to the budget will do the same, to remove speculations that the bicameral conference committee is a venue for “horse trading” and compromises among legislators.

“In the spirit of transparency, I instructed my staff to make public all my amendments in the 2019 national budget. I hope all proponents will do the same to remove all suspicions that the bicameral conference is a venue for sneaky horse trading among legislators,” he said in a post on his Twitter account.

Related:
Patas Dapat! Ping, Isinapubliko ang Institutional Amendments sa 2019 Budget
List: Institutional Amendments Proposed by Sen. Lacson in the 2019 Budget
Continue reading “In the Spirit of Transparency: Lacson Details Institutional Amendments to 2019 Budget”

On the Case of Ms. Regina Lopez

Confirmation of a presidential appointee or nominee, especially a Cabinet member, by the Commission on Appointments always follows two basic criteria: fitness and qualification. Passion and enthusiasm do not automatically translate into the two criteria.

Ms. Regina Paz Lopez obviously has a lot of passion and enthusiasm, but evidently, in my own observation and analysis of her performance during the entire confirmation proceedings, she is not fit for the job nor is she qualified. Worse, she admittedly arrogated unto herself the authority which is not prescribed under the existing laws of the land. That makes her potentially dangerous as a department head. Further, she has authoritarian tendencies.

On a personal note, I hate being intimidated and pressured in the performance of my duties as a legislator and member of the CA. Her supporters can speculate all they want why I voted to reject her confirmation but these are my reasons and nothing more.

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