Tag: NEP

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Lacson Flags ‘Questionable’ Lump-Sum Items for Infra Projects in Proposed 2027 Budget, to Seek Clarification

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Saturday flagged some “questionable” lump sum appropriations for infrastructure projects of a government agency in the P7.2-trillion proposed national budget for 2027, adding he will seek an explanation or clarification from the officials concerned.

Lacson said he may formally raise the issue at the briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), which is initially scheduled on Aug. 27.

“We spotted lump sum appropriations that we don’t think should be lump sum. When we say lump sum appropriations, an aggregate amount is appropriated for a project, activity or program (PAP), or group of projects without detailing the breakdown of the cost of each PAP,” he said in English and Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.

“We will seek clarification on the details of these lump sum appropriations. Lump sum appropriations are allowed for calamity funds because we cannot predict when calamities occur. But it becomes questionable if it’s for infrastructure projects. That is what we saw and we will ask for details on the matter,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, May Nasilip na ‘Questionable’ Lump-Sum Items para sa Infra Projects sa Panukalang 2027 Budget

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Lacson Flags P2.5B ‘Allocables’ Tied to Imee in 2025 NEP; Questions Silence in Bicam

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed this on Sunday as he flagged P2.5 billion in allocables tied to Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios “Imee” Marcos in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP), as well as her silence on supposed “giniling” or “pork” when the 2026 budget bill was being tackled at the bicameral conference level.

Lacson said these are based on documents he received from the camp of the late Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Catalina Cabral.

“Marcos had allocables worth P2.5 billion in the NEP according to the Cabral files. Most allocables were moved from the NEP to the 2025 GAA via insertions in the bicam where Sen. Marcos had at least the same amount based on DPWH records… While part of the insertions were flagged for later release, part of her FLR allocables had been released,” he said in English and Filipino, in an interview on DZBB radio.

“She makes a lot of noise criticizing the 2026 budget for having ‘pork’ but she had ‘pork’ in the budget, at least in the 2025 GAA. So she has no moral ascendancy to criticize. In the first place, she was a member of the Senate contingent in the bicameral conference committee. Why didn’t she raise the issue that there was pork? We heard nothing from her then, when she was in the bicam,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Sinita ang P2.5B ‘Allocables’ ni Imee sa 2025 NEP; Kinuwestiyon ang Katahimikan sa Bicam

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Lacson: Why Did Ex-DPWH Chief Bonoan Take Project ‘Memos’ from ‘Outsiders’?

Why did ex-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec. Manuel Bonoan receive handwritten “memos” from civilians or non-organic DPWH personnel on which projects to endorse when he headed the department?

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson bared this Tuesday as the Senate continues to look into the effects of corruption behind anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects.

“I am baffled by the documents I saw, where Bonoan received handwritten memos that turned out to be from civilians or non-organic DPWH personnel. How did these memos, which were scribbled on Post-It notes, get to Bonoan?” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

“That’s the hard part. Such communications didn’t go through the official channels of the department. Why is the secretary dealing with them directly?” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: Ex-DPWH Chief Bonoan Tumanggap ng mga “Memo” Mula sa Tagalabas?

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Lacson Uncovers Least P100B in Senators’ Insertions in 2025 Budget

At least P100 billion worth of items were inserted by “almost all” senators in the 19th Congress in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson bared on Sunday.

Lacson, an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget, cited documents he gathered indicating that these were individual insertions, although they were eventually held for later release (FLR).

“Sa Senate pa lang, at least P100 bilyon. Nagulat nga ako, sa individual insertions ito, ito naka-FLR ngayon (For the Senate, the insertions amounted to at least P100 billion. I was surprised because these are individual insertions although they were held ‘for later release’),” he said in an interview on DZMM radio.

“Pagkalalaki. Never pa ako nakakita kasi noong araw di pa declared unconstitutional ang PDAF nandoon lang sa hundreds of millions. E ngayon nakita ko ang total, kabuuan at least P100 billion (It was humongous. I have never seen such amounts. Before the Priority Development Assistance Fund was declared unconstitutional in 2013, ‘pork’ amounted to hundreds of millions. Now it’s at least P100 billion total for 24 senators alone),” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Ibinunyag ang Mahigit ₱100B Insertion ng mga Senador sa 2025 Budget

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Lacson Grills DPWH on ‘Leadership Fund’: Why Let Lawmakers Tinker with NEP?

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Tuesday questioned the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s so-called “Leadership Fund,” which he said allowed lawmakers to tinker with the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Lacson learned about the fund while grilling ex-DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing on anomalous flood control projects.

During the hearing, Lacson had asked how ex-DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo could download hundreds of millions of pesos worth of projects sourced from the NEP, or the budget proposal prepared by the executive branch, to the Bulacan First District Engineering Office under now-sacked district engineer Henry Alcantara.

“The NEP is the President’s budget proposal to be transmitted to the House and eventually to the Senate. Why are there insertions in the NEP? That I cannot really understand for the life of me,” Lacson told Bonoan in a mix of English and Filipino at the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on anomalous flood control projects.

In Filipino: Lacson, Binanatan ang ‘Leadership Fund’ ng DPWH: Bakit Pinapayagang Sumawsaw ang mga Mambabatas sa NEP?

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