Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has arranged for full transparency on budget insertions in the Senate, following his speech involving “ghost” or fabricated and defective flood control projects in various regions.
Lacson sought a process enabling the identification of budget insertion or amendment proponents for accountability, deterring their exploitation.
“I-identify natin, sino bang proponents ng mga amendments, a.k.a, insertions. Kasi hanggang hindi nai-identify ‘yun, hindi mate-trace back, malakas ang loob, madali magsi-tanggi e,” Lacson said in an interview on Balansyado on Thursday evening.
“Kasi tukoy na tukoy na ‘to sa kanyang distrito, sasabihin niya pa, ‘Hindi, wala akong kinalaman diyan, e. GAA (General Appropriations Act) ‘yan, e’ … Kasi nga walang minutes, walang transcript, at walang record,” he explained.
He shared that he and Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian, Chair of the Committee on Finance, agreed to ensure transparency, particularly in cases where an office’s budget would notably rise. He would simply ask for the proponent’s identity, and Gatchalian—who requires written amendments—would provide the necessary details through the paper trail.
“Basta’t may nakita akong umusbong, tatanungin kita (Gatchalian). Sabi niya, ‘Hindi lang iyon, sasabihin ko pa papaano nila iju-justify kung bakit sila nagdagdag. Sana i-adopt din sa House ‘yun,” Lacson said.
Additionally, he spoke of Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Arnan Panaligan, whom he exposed as being one of the lawmakers behind the non-existent and faulty flood control projects in his jurisdiction. Panaligan denied his involvement in the said projects.
“Hindi ko mareconcile kung bakit noon, parang buong-buo ang loob (niya) na ‘Funded by my office,’ or ‘Sa akin ‘yan, effort ko ‘yan, initiative ko ‘yan,’ pero ngayon, noong medyo may problema, ‘Wala akong kinalaman diyan,’” Lacson said.
Many officials, Lacson went on, have also removed their social media posts and billboards boasting the completion of such projects.
His fellow senators backed his exposé on Wednesday, August 20.
