Tag: infrastructure

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Lacson: DPWH Diverted P50B in Unprogrammed Funds for Infra Projects in 2024

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) diverted no less than P50 billion from unprogrammed appropriations in the 2024 budget for various infrastructure projects, including P30 billion for flood control projects alone, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson bared Tuesday.

Lacson said this showed how DPWH officials have become comfortable with not following the government’s master plan for infrastructure projects.

“In 2024 alone, the DPWH diverted P50 billion from unprogrammed appropriations for infrastructure projects, including P30 billion for flood control projects. This means DPWH officials have become comfortable with funding such projects even if this means violating the government’s master plan,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

“These appropriations were spread throughout several districts. The public fund was abused because of the collusion between some lawmakers and DPWH officials, to the point that lawmakers gave the DPWH bigger funds than the education sector – and in 2025, they continued this practice until it exploded in our faces,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: DPWH, Inilaan ang P50B Unprogrammed Funds Para sa Infra Projects noong 2024

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Lacson: Government’s Fight vs Corruption Must be for All Filipinos, Not Just Business Sector

The government’s campaign against corruption should uphold not just the call of the business sector but also the welfare of ordinary Filipino taxpayers who cannot escape paying taxes, including the 12% value-added tax, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Monday.

Lacson stressed this after 34 business groups and associations signed a resolution calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take “swift, decisive action” against corruption, which they described as more than a financial loss but a “fatal breach of public trust.”

“I couldn’t agree more with the business sector except that they should not only be speaking on their behalf but for the tens of millions of individual taxpayers including every Filipino that cannot escape the 12% VAT or consumer tax that we all pay in exchange for goods and services that we deal with on a daily basis,” said Lacson, an avowed enemy of corruption.

In Filipino: Lacson: Laban vs Katiwalian Dapat Para sa Lahat ng Pilipino, Hindi Lang sa Negosyante

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Lacson Pushes Retribution and Restitution for Anomalous Infra Projects

“Retribution plus restitution” should be the formula of the government in dealing with erring officials and contractors behind anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.

Lacson said the government – and taxpayers – can potentially get back an initial P26 billion from contracted flood control ghost projects between 2023 and 2025 worth P629 billion, with 80% possible restitution in exchange for shortened jail terms after conviction of those involved.

“A simple extrapolation using the initial finding of 421 contracted ghost flood control projects out of the 8,000 (5.26%) so far inspected by the AFP/PNP/DepDev composite team as standard, with an aggregate total amount of at least P629B worth of flood control CONTRACTED projects in 2023-2025, if all those responsible – contractors, politicians and Department of Public Works and Highways officials – will return just 80% of their loot, after a plea bargaining agreement in exchange for shortened jail terms, easily the Filipino people can recover at least P26 billion,” Lacson said.

“Imagine the hundreds of billions in taxpayers’ money that we may be able to recover out of all the other similarly corrupted infrastructure projects,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Itinulak ang ‘Retribution and Restitution’ Formula para sa Maanomalyang Infra Projects

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Lacson to Fellow Lawmakers: Revelations on Huge Budget Insertions a Wake-Up Call to Make 2026 Budget Pork-Free

The revelations on humongous budget insertions by the Senate and House of Representatives in the 2025 budget is not meant to put anyone on the spot but be a chance for both houses of Congress to heed the public’s outrage against corruption and ensure a pork-free budget for 2026 and beyond, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Tuesday.

Lacson said he explained this to fellow senators in a caucus Monday, where some of them voiced concerns that the revelation over the insertions could affect the institution.

“I can actually feel and understand completely the sentiments expressed by my colleagues, at least the members of the majority bloc during our majority caucus yesterday, so I explained to them that the mention of ‘almost all senators’ was not intended to put them or the whole Senate on the spot, nor did I have the intention of calling them out particularly,” Lacson said.

“The overarching reason for my disclosure or revelation was to point out that we must accept the fact that we are all in crisis owing to the recent anomalies involving the substandard and even ghost flood control projects unearthed in the course of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings and other similar investigations,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson sa mga Kapwa Mambabatas: Pagbubunyag ng Malalaking Budget Insertions, Pampagising Para Alisin ang Pork sa Budget

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On the Independent Commission for Infrastructure

The expanded coverage of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to include all infrastructure projects and not just flood control projects is a most welcome development.

In like manner, I hope the scope of the sumbongsapangulo.ph website will likewise be expanded by not limiting its coverage to flood control projects only.

Better yet, the website can be made more valuable to taxpayers by including data on funding for all infrastructure projects of all agencies, from the National Expenditure Program to the General Appropriations Act, as well as the identities of the proponents of congressional amendments or insertions and all the way to the project implementation and completion. And yes, complete with geotagging, please.

This will maximize transparency every step of the way, not to mention public participation in monitoring where and how our taxes are being spent.

Meanwhile, there are bills filed in both Houses of Congress that will institutionalize the ICI, complete with all the powers in the mold of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) of Singapore.

It is long in coming.

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