Lacson: Independent Medical Exams Show Right Approach to ‘Hospital Arrests’

Independent medical examinations – including the one on former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez – should set the right approach to the pattern of “hospital arrests” involving prominent personalities who can afford prolonged hospital stays, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Sunday.

Lacson lauded the Sandiganbayan for ordering such an independent medical examination on Romualdez, noting a pattern where some personalities seek hospital confinement, but “miraculously” recover after an independent examination found no reason for continued hospitalization.

In Filipino: Lacson: Independent Medical Exams, Tamang Pantapat sa ‘Hospital Arrests’

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Lacson, Staff Begin Scrutiny of Proposed 2027 Budget Amid Senate’s Tight Schedule

Despite the Senate’s tight schedule due to the ongoing impeachment trial, regular plenary sessions and expected committee hearings on matters referred to his committees, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson and his staff have begun scrutinizing the proposed P7.2-trillion budget for 2027.

Lacson said that, as in past years, he and his staff would closely examine the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to ensure that no traces of “pork,” including questionable, useless and wasteful items, would make it to the proposed budget.

“Sa ngayon, sinisimulan na namin ng staff na i-scrutinize ang NEP kasi na-transmit na ito. Pinasisimulan namin kalkalin o i-scrutinize ang NEP para sa 2027 budget (As of now, my staff and I have started scrutinizing the NEP after it was transmitted to both houses of Congress. We have started poring through the NEP in preparation for deliberations on the proposed budget for 2027),” he said in an interview on DZBB radio.

In Filipino: Lacson, Staff Sinimulan ang Pagsusuri sa Panukalang 2027 Budget sa Kabila ng Masikip na Iskedyul ng Senado

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Lacson Renews Call to Abolish ‘Leadership Fund’ in National Budget

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Thursday renewed his call to abolish the “Leadership Fund” or allocables from the national budget, branding it not merely as another form of pork barrel, but a worse version of the outlawed system.

Lacson said the testimony of former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan, as well as recent developments on anomalous flood control projects, highlighted how the “Leadership Fund” gave legislators an opportunity to make budget insertions even during the preparation phase of the national budget.

“The Leadership Fund aka ‘allocables’ is a worse version of the outlawed pork barrel system. It added another layer that provided legislators opportunity to make budget insertions even during the Preparation Phase of the national budget, or before the National Expenditure Program (NEP) is transmitted to the Congress for deliberations by both chamber, where further insertions could still be introduced,” said Lacson, who has consistently rejected pork barrel in all its forms.

“With all that said, I maintain that such anomaly in the passage of the national budget must stop,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson Muling Nanawagan na Buwagin ang ‘Leadership Fund’ sa Pambansang Badyet

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Lacson Lauds PGH for Professionalism, Integrity in Medical Assessment of Marcoleta

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Thursday commended the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital for submitting an objective medical assessment of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta to the Sandiganbayan.

The Sandiganbayan ordered a separate medical examination for Marcoleta at the PGH to determine if he still needed to be confined at the Philippine National Police General Hospital (PNP-GH).

With the PGH’s findings showing no medical condition that required Marcoleta’s further hospitalization, the anti-graft court ordered Marcoleta transferred to the new Quezon City Jail in Barangay Payatas.

“It’s a MIRACLE! Naka wheelchair pumasok, brisk walk lumabas. Kudos to UP-PGH for putting professionalism and integrity above all other considerations in submitting their medical report to the Sandiganbayan,” Lacson said in a post on X, noting Marcoleta managed to walk while leaving the Sandiganbayan last Wednesday.

In Filipino: Lacson, Pinuri ang PGH sa Propesyonalismo at Integridad sa Pagsusuri kay Marcoleta

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PNP General Hospital para sa mga pulis, di sa politiko [People’s Taliba]

From Edd J. Reyes’ column in People’s Taliba: MAY punto si Senator Panfilo Lacson sa aniya ay paulit-ulit na pangyayari kung saan bigla na lang nagkakasakit ang mga kilalang personalidad kapag naaresto sa kasong pandarambong.

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