Huge insertions a wake-up call to make 2026 budget pork-free — Lacson

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Tuesday, Sept. 30 said the revelations on the huge budget insertions by members of the Senate and House of Representatives in the 2025 national budget is a chance for both houses of Congress to ensure that next year’s budget is free from pork barrel.

- HANNAH L. TORREGOZA and ELLSON QUISMORIO

Lacson pointed this out as he defended the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s ongoing investigation into the anomalies in the government’s flood control projects and his recent disclosure was not meant to put anyone on the spot but to give lawmakers a chance to heed the public’s outrage against corruption and ensure a “pork-free” 2026 budget and beyond.

The Blue Ribbon panel chairman also said he explained this to fellow senators during a caucus on Monday after some of their colleagues voiced concerns that the revelation over the insertions could affect the institution.

“I can actually feel and understand completely the sentiments expressed by my colleagues, at least the members of the majority bloc during our majority caucus yesterday, so I explained to them that the mention of 'almost all senators' was not intended to put them or the whole Senate on the spot, nor did I have the intention of calling them out particularly," Lacson said.