Public funding allocation mechanisms are facing intense institutional scrutiny as lawmakers and civil society watchdogs move to dismantle billions in unvalidated expenditure proposals before final budget enactment.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said that public anger combined with sustained vigilance could be the key to counter the greed and callousness of lawmakers behind questionable insertions in the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
Lacson said he hopes that the individuals behind attempts to alter the proposed national budget will be proven wrong by the collective efforts of legislators and budget advocacy groups demanding fiscal accountability.
“When anger meets vigilance, greed, and callousness face a fierce fight. The flood control scandal has barely settled, yet the ‘kapalmuks’ of the world are testing the limits of the people’s patience yet again. I would like to think they are wrong this time… Thanks to the People’s Budget Coalition and all like-minded individuals standing together for accountability,” Lacson said in a post on X.
In an interview on radio dzMM, Lacson emphasized that public outrage must be paired with systematic oversight to effectively deter budget manipulation within Congress.
“Galit is not enough. Vigilance is not enough. Kapag pinagsama ang galit at ang vigilance, may paglalagyan talaga,” Lacson said.
Lacson welcomed the decision of several House members to confer with budget advocacy groups following growing public support for campaign transparency.
Lacson noted that he and his staff are actively auditing line items in the proposed national budget to verify project viability and statutory compliance, adding that the Senate majority bloc remains unified against unauthorized legislative insertions.
“Nagkaka-isa kami dito maski sino tatamaan. Dito puwede i-apply ang sabi ni Azcuna, all means all. Walang sacred cows maski sino pa ang nag insert. Kung hindi ma-i-implement at kulang sa requirement, kailangan kaltasin,” Lacson also said.
Lacson clarified that his push for budgetary oversight is driven strictly by good governance advocacy rather than future electoral plans.
“I am left with no further political ambitions. Whatever I do now is pure advocacy in pursuit of honest public service, which I love doing no matter the cost,” Lacson added.
The Senate scrutiny follows findings highlighted by Adolfo Jose Monteza of the People’s Budget Coalition, who previously identified more than P1 trillion in operational “red flags” within the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 budget.
According to Monteza, the questionable funds include approximately P210 billion in “soft pork” under patronage-driven financial assistance programs, P695 billion in “hard pork” tied to politicized infrastructure projects, and P112 billion in “shadow pork” parked under unprogrammed appropriations in the House General Appropriations Bill.