Tag: Kiko Pangilinan

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Lacson: We Stand Four-Square Behind the Senate Panel to Uphold Full Transparency in Budget Bill

We stand four-square behind the efforts of the Senate panel behind Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian to uphold full transparency in the 2026 budget bill.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed this Tuesday amid another issue that surfaced, this time involving farm-to-market (FMR) road projects that were not properly identified.

He said this came as two other issues involving the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s appeal to restore its budget cuts are nearing a resolution after DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon apologized to the Senate for submitting “insufficient data” during the bicameral deliberations.

“With equal urgency and importance is the new FMR issue raised by Sen. Francis Pangilinan. At least P5 billion worth of FMR projects are not properly identified, even revised from what the Senate approved on third reading: no grid coordinates, description, etc. Based on our majority caucus yesterday, we cannot and will not allow that. For the sake of full transparency, we stand four-square behind our panel under the leadership of its chairman, Sen. Gatchalian,” Lacson said.

In Filipino: Lacson: Buo ang Suporta sa Senate Panel para Itaguyod ang Ganap na Transparency sa Budget Bill

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On the Recently Concluded 2025 Midterm Elections

HALALAN 2025: The people have spoken. Big surprises on big wins and big upsets. From a non-expert with long experience in campaigns and elections, these are some of the game changers:

(a) the millennials and Gen Z who went out and voted;
(b) social media;
(c) former President Rodrigo Duterte;
(d) The much-hyped administration machinery especially during the midterm elections failed.

All that being said, the biggest beneficiaries of “DuterTen” and “Alyansa Minus Two” are Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan. To their credit, they are both qualified, and they campaigned hard, to the last day of the 90-day campaign period. I certainly look forward to working with them again in the Senate in case the current trend of the election results holds.

There are certainly lots to learn from the recently concluded midterm elections. One thing is for certain: when all is said and done, it’s the people who get to decide. This is the essence of democracy.

*****

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To Kiko and Bam: Good Luck!

Good luck to my two former Senate colleagues. I say it with no pun intended.

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Walang Pulitika sa Pagdinig na Ito: Second Senate Hearing on COVID Vaccination

At the second hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole on the government’s vaccination efforts, Sen. Lacson debunked insinuations of politics in the hearings.

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“Stealth? Not Me!”: Rectifying Raissa Robles’ Allegations Against the Anti-Terrorism Law

A blog post by Raissa Robles insinuating that I stealthily inserted Section 25 into Republic Act 11479 – the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 – is malicious and untrue, to say the least.

I abhor violations of the legislative process, and have called out members of Congress for such acts – such as when they inserted their pork barrel in the National Budget bill after its approval on third and final reading or ratification of the bicameral conference committee report, and before the bill was enrolled.

Why, then, would I make such a stealthy insertion to the Anti-Terrorism Bill as Robles implies?

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