Tag: pork barrel

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Lacson: SC Ruling on 2024, 2025 Budgets Timely as Senate Scrutinizes House Version of 2027 Budget Bill

The Supreme Court ruling declaring certain provisions of the 2024 and 2025 national budgets unconstitutional comes at an opportune time, as the Senate scrutinizes the House version of the 2027 budget bill, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.

Lacson said the High Court’s ruling underscored the constitutional limits on Congress’ power to alter the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

In Filipino: Lacson: SC Ruling sa 2024, 2025 Budgets Napapanahon Habang Sinusuri ng Senado ang House Version ng 2027 Budget Bill

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Lacson: More Congressional ‘Iyakan’ Looms as Senate Reviews 2027 Budget Red Flags

More “iyakan” (crying) among members of the House of Representatives may lie ahead as the Senate scrutinizes red flags in the House version of the P7.2-trillion proposed national budget for 2027, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.

Lacson, a longtime watchdog of public funds, said the Senate may restore “hundreds of billions” of pesos in cuts and realignments by the House, including changes to funds for Foreign-Assisted Projects (FAPs) and additional funding for flood control projects.

In Filipino: Lacson: ‘Iyakan pa More’ sa Kongreso Habang Sinusuri ng Senado ang mga Red Flag sa 2027 Budget

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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, 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 Shoots Down Disgraced Ex-SP Cayetano’s Insinuations: I Earned My Money Legitimately

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson legitimately earned his wealth through private business and never resorted to budget insertions or kickbacks, contrary to the latest wild insinuations and black propaganda by disgraced ex-Senate President and self-styled anti-corruption crusader Alan Peter Cayetano.

Lacson also disclosed that there are ghost flood control projects in Taguig City, Cayetano’s political bailiwick, with the city engineer – a “self-styled BGC boy” – gambling heavily in many Metro Manila casinos.

“Let me correct Sen Alan Cayetano’s latest live selling on FB using wild insinuations and black propaganda against me. Hindi nag-doble ang net worth sa SALN ko in 2025 compared to 2022 when I left the Senate. Actually, more than four times ang increase at P244.9M compared to P58.7M in 2022 – the year I left government,” Lacson said on X. “Whatever money I have, I definitely earned legitimately through some real estate deals and other legitimate businesses with two other business partners as a private individual, and I paid P10.5M and P2.8M (in taxes) respectively as reflected in my ITRs (income tax returns).”

“Unlike Sen Cayetano with P6.79B in budget insertions under the 2025 GAA, (I have no) insertions a.k.a. pork barrel since I became a senator. (And I do not have any) 25% kickback (for) slope protection and other infra projects. I don’t know about him, but I have consistently refused lobby monies in relation to my job as a legislator,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Ibinasura ang mga Paratang ni Disgrasyadong Ex-SP Cayetano: Lehitimo Kong Pinaghirapan ang Aking Yaman

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