SENATOR Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has expressed renewed determination to combat pork barrel and other budget irregularities following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s strong stance against budget manipulation in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday.
Lacson, a long-time opponent of the pork barrel system, cited the President’s declaration that he would veto any budget bill not aligned with the National Expenditure Program (NEP), even if it resulted in a reenacted budget for 2026, as a significant boost to his efforts.
This, coupled with positive developments from House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, has further strengthened his resolve to maintain transparency and integrity in the budgeting process.
Lacson highlighted Secretary Pangandaman’s directive to department secretaries to refrain from soliciting additional funding from lawmakers for their 2026 budgets.
He explained that such requests often embolden lawmakers to insert their own projects into the budget bill, a key source of corruption. Furthermore, Lacson welcomed Speaker Romualdez’s commitment to an “open bicam,” believing this transparency in the bicameral conference committee will significantly aid in preventing budget manipulation.
This aligns with Lacson’s re-filed bill promoting the involvement of non-governmental organizations and civil society groups in the budgeting process. He expressed confidence that the Speaker’s influence will ensure compliance with this push for greater transparency.
