Tag: True FM

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Lacson: Lack of NBI-OSAA Coordination Led to Senate Shooting Incident

The shooting incident inside the Senate last May 13 could have been avoided had the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) properly communicated and coordinated, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday.

Lacson said NBI agents were stationed at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) compound where the Senate is located, upon the request of GSIS General Manager Jose “Wick” Veloso.

“As far as the operational aspect of what happened is concerned, if there had been coordination or communication between the two sides, the shooting could have been avoided,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino, in an interview on True FM.

In Filipino: Lacson: Kawalan ng Koordinasyon ng NBI at OSAA, Ugat ng Insidente ng Pamamaril sa Senado

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Lacson: Time for Senate to Do Right, Restore Dignity

After the Senate itself emerged as the biggest casualty of last Wednesday’s shooting incident, senators must now do what is right to restore its dignity, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday.

Lacson said a positive step forward is the Senate’s planned convening into an impeachment court for the case of Vice President Sara Duterte, adding irresponsible insinuations from some senators must end.

“We landed in the international news for the wrong reasons. It was ugly – the shooting in the Philippine Senate as breaking news. So it is time to recover. The word Senate stems from the word ‘senatus’ meaning wise, mature men. So moving forward, we must do what is right and not show immaturity that will worsen the situation,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on True FM.

“As senators we henceforth must self-reflect individually and collectively to perform our duty,” he added. “Moving forward, our focus should be to redeem the Senate from its present situation.”

In Filipino: Lacson: Oras na para Gawin ang Tama at Ibalik ang Dignidad ng Senado

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Lacson to Closely Scrutinize DPWH Budget Realignments, Including ‘Ayuda’

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson will closely scrutinize the realignments made in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s proposed budget for 2026, particularly those introduced in the House of Representatives for “ayuda” programs.

Lacson, an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget, said this Wednesday after noting that at least P46 billion of the DPWH’s budget was realigned to “ayuda” programs.

“We expect the House version of the General Appropriations Bill to be transmitted to us soon. We will compare this House version of the budget bill with the National Expenditure Program to check which items got a spike in funding,” he said in Filipino in an interview on True FM.

In Filipino: Lacson: Bubusisiin ang DPWH Budget Realignments, Kabilang ang Para sa ‘Ayuda’

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Lacson: Congress is the ‘Original Sin’ Behind Flood Control Project Hell

Floods and the corruption behind substandard and ghost flood control projects have turned Filipinos’ lives into a living hell, and Congress is the “original sin” behind it all.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed this on Monday as he said the logical conclusion to the Senate investigation on the matter must at least reach this “original sin.”

“We must make sure that the logical conclusion does not stop with Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez, Sally Santos or the Discayas. We must see to it that the logical conclusion reaches the ‘original sin,'” Lacson, who chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee looking into the mess, said in Filipino in an interview on True FM.

“Congress is the original sin here. If congressmen and senators did not insert funds, there would be no funds for corrupt Department of Public Works and Highways officials to play with, especially in the district engineering offices. It has come to a point where corruption became systemic, where even junior functionaries invent their own money-making schemes,” he added.

Lacson is to chair the next hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 9 a.m. He said he has asked Senate President Vicente Sotto III to slightly delay the start of the regular session to 4 p.m.

In Filipino: Lacson: Kongreso ang ‘Original Sin’ sa Impyerno ng Maanomalyang Flood Control Projects

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Lacson Demolishes DPWH Secretary’s Claim that Ghost Projects in Bulacan an ‘Isolated Case’

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Friday demolished the claim of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan that the ghost flood control projects in Bulacan’s first engineering district are an isolated case.

Lacson said that in looking into the greed and corruption behind several defective and ghost flood control projects, he had his staff conduct case studies not only in Bulacan but also in Mindoro and other areas.

He also stressed that now is the time for the DPWH to conduct a full internal audit of its projects, starting with the flood control projects.

“When you say it is an isolated case, it sounds like a defense mechanism. It suggests you don’t intend to conduct a full-scale and comprehensive investigation. And I expected that, so I had my teams check projects in other areas,” he said in Filipino in an interview on True FM, when asked about the matter.

“I expected that ‘isolated case’ line and I can say this is not an isolated case. That is why we conducted case studies in Pampanga, Northern Luzon and other areas, just to debunk the claims that Bulacan is an isolated case,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Dinurog ang Pahayag ng DPWH Secretary na ‘Isolated Case’ ang Ghost Projects sa Bulacan

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