Tag: DZBB

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Lacson Rebuts ‘Senate Pork’ Claims: Funds are for Higher Subsistence Allowance Hike

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Wednesday rebutted claims of an alleged P17.9-billion pork barrel fund for the Senate in the 2026 budget bill, saying these are actually realignments to increase the subsistence allowance of uniformed personnel.

Lacson said the claims of “Senate pork” made by Rep. Antonio Tinio smacked either of “trabahong tamad (lazy work)” or a malicious attempt to destabilize the Senate.

“The ‘Senate pork’ referred to by Rep. Tinio are actually realignments to increase the subsistence allowance of the uniformed personnel from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and Bureau of Fire Protection and also the Philippine Coast Guard,” Lacson stressed.

“Rep. Tinio is either too lazy to do his research, or he is malevolently destabilizing the Senate to take the heat off the House of Representatives,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: Walang “Senate Pork,” Pondo para Pataasin ang Subsistence Allowance ng Uniformed Services

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Lacson: ‘Restoring’ Cuts in DPWH Budget at Bicam Can Reopen Floodgates to Insertions

Accommodating the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s request to restore items cut from its proposed budget for 2026 could potentially reopen the floodgates to insertions, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson warned on Sunday.

Lacson said that if the items the DPWH is seeking to restore are not in the Senate and House versions of the budget bill, neither house can act on it as they agreed to tackle only their disagreeing provisions in the bicameral conference committee.

“If the DPWH appeals to restore its budget and the items it seeks are not in the House and Senate versions, it may open the floodgates to insert items that are not in either version,” he said in a mix of English and FIlipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

“In the bicam, if the items they want restored are not in the House and Senate versions, we would be violating our agreement to tackle only the disagreeing provisions, and the door would be open to insertions,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: Pag-Restore ng Budget Cuts ng DPWH, Maaaring Maging Daan sa Pagbalik ng Insertions

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Lacson: Media, Public Vigilance Key vs Budget Manipulations, Especially with Livestreaming

The media and the public must stay vigilant to prevent manipulations in the budget bill, especially now that the proceedings in the bicameral conference committee are being livestreamed, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Sunday.

Lacson said this will keep the pressure on lawmakers so they would not insist on funding for dubious programs, especially those that involve political patronage.

“Media and the public are the key here. If we all let down our guard, we may allow corruption to come back. We must remain vigilant not only on flood control projects, but also on the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Program and farm-to-market roads,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

In Filipino: Lacson: Dapat Manatiling Mapagbantay ang Media at Publiko vs Manipulasyon sa Badyet, Lalo’t May Livestreaming Ngayon

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Lacson: More Than P79B Likely Lost to Ghost Flood Control Projects Alone

More than P79 billion has likely been lost to ghost flood control projects dating back to 2016, not counting substandard ones, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.

Lacson said this was based on an updated report submitted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which he chairs.

“The DPWH submitted to the Blue Ribbon Committee an updated report. Combined with the new data from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police inspection teams, it appears the number of ghost projects was 494 out of some 13,000 projects,” he said.

He added P79 billion is a huge amount, considering that the Anti-Money Laundering Council managed to have frozen almost P12 billion worth of assets linked to the corruption behind the anomalous flood control projects.

In Filipino: Lacson: Higit P79B Malamang na Nawawala Dahil sa Ghost Flood Control Projects Pa Lamang

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Lacson Rejects Military-Backed ‘Reset,’ Junta Amid Corruption Scandal

Public outrage over the corruption behind anomalous flood control projects must continue, but not at the expense of the Constitution, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Sunday.

Lacson said recent proposals such as a so-called “transition council” and a supposed military-backed “reset” are all unconstitutional, and those behind them might as well “dream on.”

“I hope such military-backed intervention would not happen because nothing good can come out of it,” Lacson, who said Saturday that the public must stay angry but not violent, said in a mix of Filipino and English in an interview on DZBB radio.

“There are so many people with active imaginations. During times of crisis like this, we cannot blame them for thinking up extra-legal and unconstitutional ways, perhaps in their passion to change the system because they saw how systemic corruption has become,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Tinabla ang Panawagang Military-Backed “Reset” o “Junta” Dulot ng Iskandalo sa Katiwalian

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