SENATE President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson has challenged Senator Imee Marcos to present evidence supporting her claims that the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) is a “political” budget filled with “soft pork.”
Lacson refuted Marcos’s allegations, pointing out that she, too, has an allocable fund in the 2025 budget based on the ‘Cabral files.’
In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB, Lacson stated, “Si Senator Imee, mayroon din doon. Kung hindi P2.5 billion, nasa P3.5 billion. ‘Yung for later release niya, may mga na-release doon.” (Senator Imee also has an allocation. If not P2.5 billion, it’s P3.5 billion. Some of which for later release have already been released.)
Lacson questioned Marcos’s timing and motives, saying, “Siya (Marcos) ‘yung nag-iingay na tahasang kini-criticize niya ang napirmahang budget ng 2026. Kung ganun definition niya ng pork, siya nga ang mayroong pork [barrel]. So wala siyang moral ascendency para i-criticize.” (Marcos has been vocally criticizing the signed 2026 national budget. If that’s her definition of pork barrel, she’s the one who has one. So she has no moral ascendency to criticize.)
Marcos had alleged that the 2026 GAA, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was not a developmental budget but a “political” one, suggesting it was designed to initiate impeachment plans against Vice President Sara Duterte. She also flagged the alleged “soft pork” in the budget, particularly in government financial assistance programs like MAIFIP and AICS.
Lacson countered Marcos’s claims by questioning why she didn’t raise these concerns during the Bicameral Conference Committee. He also dismissed her assertions that senators were barred from speaking out in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Furthermore, Lacson addressed the issue of Orly Guteza, who had claimed to have delivered money to the residences of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former lawmaker Zaldy Co, stating, “Ang problema, sumulpot siya (Orly Guteza) minsan tapos nawala siya ng parang bula.” (The problem is that witness Orly Guteza made claims once and has since disappeared.) He emphasized that there is no evidence linking Romualdez to the flood control scandal.
Extending an invitation to Marcos, Lacson urged her to attend the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and present any evidence she possesses, promising to extend her time as needed.
Marcos has stated that she will respond to Lacson’s remarks at a later time. The public awaits her response as the debate over the 2026 budget continues to unfold.
