Sotto gets back at congressmen over budget

Senate President Vicente Sotto III has reprimanded congressmen who allegedly accused the Senate leadership of slashing their district budgets.

- By MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

Sotto raised the issue during the Senate’s plenary session on Thursday, the second-to-the-last day of deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget.

He said district representatives had contacted his political officer to accuse him and Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson of cutting their allocations.

“It has come to my attention that several members of the House of Representatives... had called my political officer; especially district representatives, they are anxious in saying that the budget for their districts are being slashed here in the Senate, specifically by Senator Lacson and myself,” Sotto said.