Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Monday said the case of the P5-million “allocation fund” linked to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is becoming “curiouser and curiouser” as he questioned why the agency had not denied having a staff member named “Stephanie” who reportedly reached out to his staff member with the offer.
In an interview on dzMM radio, Lacson said TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez denied authorizing anyone to make such an offer to him but failed to clarify if “Stephanie” was its staff member, which leaves questions on how the alleged offer was made and whether such practice exists within TESDA.
Lacson said he is “willing to give him (Benitez) the benefit of the doubt” when he denied giving such an order, but it would have been “much simpler” if the latter categorically denied that TESDA has a staff member named Stephanie.
“Doon agad mako-convince tayo na may gumagamit ng pangalan niya. Pero walang denial, sa pagkaka-alam ko (I would have been convinced that someone is using his name. But as far as I know, there was no such denial),” Lacson also said.
In an interview on radio dwIZ last Saturday, Lacson disclosed that a certain Stephanie Cordez, from the TESDA Central Office who was reportedly assigned as a liaison officer for him, relayed to his staff member that there was a P5-million “allocation fund” for Lacson.
He said Stephanie claimed she got the staff member’s number from one “Attorney Cyril Santiago.”
Lacson said he did not manage to ask what the P5 million “allocation fund” was for, as he outright rejected the offer.
According to Lacson’s staff member, Stephanie replied that she will “relay to our heads” Lacson’s rejection of the offer.
Lacson said he considered conducting an entrapment or sting operation on Stephanie to identify and arrest those behind the offer but took pity on her since she was apparently only following instructions.
He instructed his staff member to provide Benitez with all available information to help TESDA’s internal investigation so it can get to the bottom of the issue, even as he warned other government agencies brazenly offering budget funds to legislators.
Lacson said he will seek further clarification when the proposed TESDA budget for next year is tackled in plenary next month.
“It is not the amount. The act of offering P5 million, mali na kaagad. Saan kukunin ang P5 million kundi sa pondo ng bayan kung sakaling totoo? Sa akin naman, maliit o malaki, mali mag offers ka ng pera kung saan nagde-deliberate kami. That’s one form of lobbying and that’s also a form of bribery,” Lacson added.
Lacson said there is no place for money-laced lobbying, especially during the budget season.
He said that agencies whose proposed budgets were decreased in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) could appeal to the House or the Senate to restore them, provided they can justify it.
Relatedly, Lacson warned against an overreliance on “ayuda” items such as the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), as he cited anecdotes of recipients spending the money on shopping and gambling.
He said the country’s projected budget deficit of P1.695 trillion and the projected national debt ballooning to P21.48 trillion in 2027 could leave the Philippines sinking further into debt.
He also noted the government’s gross borrowings of P3.043 trillion in 2027 for principal and interest payments.
Lacson earlier said the Senate plans to slash P2 billion from its proposed P7 billion budget in 2027 under the NEP to set an example of fiscal discipline, as it could free up funds for realignment to education, health, or other more productive endeavors that will benefit the Filipino people.