Tag: President Bongbong Marcos

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Lacson Turning Up Heat on Corruption in 2026, Hopes President to Do the Same

In the Year of the Fire Horse, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson will turn up the heat against corruption, even as he hopes President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will bring the same fire to the fight.

Lacson said the Filipino people expect no less from their public servants, as they have become more awake and angry after learning how their hard-earned tax money was plundered.

“On a personal note, I thank 2025 for bringing me back all my staff that I left behind in 2022, plus a few assets more. With renewed tenacity and hard work, I am even more encouraged to expose more corruption issues that are similar to what has become the most blatant and unprecedented misuse and abuse of the national budget since I left the Senate three years ago,” he said.

“With a more awakened and angrier citizenry who have never been exposed before to more detailed acts of corruption and plunder of their hard-earned tax money, our national leaders have to brace themselves to address more corruption issues in 2026,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Lalong Paiinitin ang Laban vs Korapsyon sa 2026, Umaasang Ganoon Din ang Gagawin ng Pangulo

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Lacson: DPWH, Cabral Files Show At Least 5 Cabinet Secretaries Had Allocables and/or Non-Allocables in 2025 Budget

Documents from the camp of the late Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Catalina Cabral and from the DPWH itself showed at least five Cabinet members and even some undersecretaries had allocables and/or non-allocables amounting to billions of pesos in the 2025 budget, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.

Lacson said these include one “ES” who had P8.3 billion, and ex-DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, whose allocables for 2025 alone amounted to at least P30.5 billion.

“At least five Cabinet secretaries and some undersecretaries had allocables and/or non-allocables, according to the documents. I was surprised at one entry that said ‘ES, P8 billion.’ How did one ‘ES’ get allocables?” he said in English and Filipino in an interview on DWIZ.

“For Bonoan, I saw his allocables include P5 billion, plus three more batches totaling P25.5 billion, so P30.5 billion in all. What is his right to the allocables? Also, I saw the other Cabinet secretaries getting P2 billion each. Why?” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: 5 Cabinet Secretaries May Allocables at/o Non-Allocables sa 2025 Budget, Base sa DPWH at Cabral Files

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Lacson: Briefly Reenacted 2025 Budget Better than Rushed, Corruption-Prone 2026 Budget

A briefly reenacted 2025 budget would be preferable to rushing the passage of the 2026 version only to find it unresponsive to the needs of the times – or worse, prone to corruption, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.

Lacson said this after Executive Secretary Ralph Recto was quoted as saying President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is to sign the P6.793-trillion budget for 2026 in the first week of January, meaning a reenacted budget for a few days.

He also reiterated that the key, even after the budget is finally signed into law, should still be continued vigilance in monitoring, reporting, and even shaming wrongdoing in government.

“This is exactly what I said earlier – better a reenacted budget in January, or even in the first quarter of 2026, than rushing the passage of a national budget that is not responsive to the call of the times, amidst the yet unresolved investigations on the misuse and abuse of the current and previous expenditure programs, particularly involving flood control projects,” said Lacson, a long-time watchdog of the national budget.

In Filipino: Lacson: Panandaliang Reenacted 2025 Budget, Mas Mainam kaysa Minadali at Corruption-Prone na 2026 Budget

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Lacson: Imee Marcos’ Claims at Religious Gathering were ‘Un-Filipino’

Un-Filipino. This was how Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson described on Tuesday the accusations of drug use thrown by Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios “Imee” Marcos against her brother President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at a religious gathering Monday.

Lacson said that while siblings may have disagreements, the Filipino way is to resolve them inside the home, and not before hundreds of thousands of people in a public gathering.

“That was very un-Filipino. We have seen siblings quarrel but they confine it inside the home… But to bring your conflict in front of hundreds of thousands of people at the Luneta, to me that’s unacceptable as a Filipino. We Filipinos are not like that,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on True FM.

In Filipino: Lacson: ‘Un-Filipino’ ang Mga Pahayag ni Imee Marcos sa Religious Gathering

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Lacson Hopeful ICI Can Bring Justice to Nation ‘Drowning’ in Corruption

With the appointment of former Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes Jr. as chairman, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is in a good position to bring justice to a nation drowning in corruption, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Monday.

Lacson cited the integrity of Reyes, who he had the chance to meet while he was still in the Supreme Court. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced earlier Monday that Reyes would chair the iCI.

“I had the chance of meeting him while he was still with the Supreme Court. He has integrity,” Lacson said of Reyes.

In Filipino: Lacson Umaasa na Magbibigay ng Hustisya ang ICI sa Bayan na Lubog sa Korapsyon

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