Tag: DZBB

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Lacson Welcomes Lifestyle Check on 26 ‘Cong-tractors’

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Friday welcomed the Office of the Ombudsman’s order for a lifestyle check on 26 “cong-tractors,” or House members allegedly involved as contractors in government projects.

Lacson said it was “well and good” that the Ombudsman had started gathering evidence on the supposed “cong-tractors,” noting the issue clearly involves conflict of interest.

“It is a good development. If the Ombudsman has names and proof, it should investigate them because that is a clear conflict of interest. Imagine, you insert projects in the budget for projects where you are the contractor,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

In Filipino: Lifestyle Check sa 26 ‘Cong-tractors,’ Welcome kay Lacson

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Lacson Plans to Invite Co, Ex-Soldiers to Next Blue Ribbon Hearing

Once its partial committee report on the flood control scandal is formally filed, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee may invite to its next hearing captured former Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co – along with Orly Guteza and the former soldiers who claimed to have delivered P805 billion in alleged kickbacks from anomalous flood projects to various personalities on Co’s orders.

Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon panel Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday that the testimonies of Guteza and the ex-soldiers are “interconnected” with Co.

“Once Co is in the Philippines and the court allows it, I plan to have him attend the hearing along with Guteza and the ex-soldiers so we will find out who is truthful, who is telling half-truths, and who is lying,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.

In Filipino: Lacson Plano Imbitahan si Co, Mga Ex-Sundalo sa Susunod na Blue Ribbon Hearing

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Lacson Urges Govt: Go Beyond Ayuda, Craft Direct Support for Filipinos Hit by Fuel Crisis

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Tuesday urged the government to go beyond traditional “ayuda” and explore more targeted measures to support Filipinos affected by the fuel crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East – including a possible fuel subsidy.

Lacson said the government may study approaches used by neighboring economies such as Taiwan, which implements subsidy mechanisms to help cushion fuel price spikes.

“Hindi ako nagmamarunong. Ang suggestion ko lang, pag-aralang mabuti kung anong mas nakakabuti sa sektor na talagang apektado (I am not playing a know-it-all but my suggestion is to study ways to benefit the sectors that are directly affected),” he said in an interview on DZBB radio.

In Filipino: Lacson Hinimok ang Gobyerno: Higit sa Ayuda, Bumuo ng Direktang Suporta para sa mga Pilipinong Apektado ng Krisis sa Langis

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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 Cites Constitutional Path for Using BSKE Funds for Crisis Response Amid Comelec Chairman’s Concerns

Realigning the Commission on Elections (Comelec)’s budget for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to agencies outside the Comelec may be unconstitutional, but a constitutional path exists to channel the funds for crisis response, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Monday.

Lacson thus allayed the concerns of Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia on proposals to postpone the BSKE and use some P16 billion in unspent funds allocated to it to address the fuel crisis stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.

“What the Chairman says is true. Funds allocated to the Comelec cannot be realigned to items outside it because that would be unconstitutional. But the allocations can still be treated as savings – Comelec may opt not to spend the funds for the BSKE and declare them as savings to be returned to the Treasury,” he said.

In Filipino: Lacson, Itinuro ang Konstitusyunal na Paraan Para sa BSKE Funds sa Gitna ng Pangamba ng Comelec

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