Lacson pushes for transparency to kill anomalous budget insertions
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Senator Ping Lacson has once again emphasized the need for transparency in budget insertions, both in the Senate and the House of Representatives, to trace anomalous allocations in specific projects, including controversial flood control initiatives.
In an interview, Lacson said transparency will discourage politicians from inserting unnecessary funds.
“I-identify sino ba yung mga proponents ng amendments a.k.a insertions. Kasi kapag hindi na identify hindi mati-trace back, malalakas ang loob, madali magsitanggi eh,” he said.
The people’s participation chair added that he has filed a bill promoting transparency for the fifth time in the 20th Congress, aiming to involve the public in scrutinizing the budget.
Meanwhile, Lacson revealed that the Senate has adopted a concurrent resolution requiring senators who propose budget amendments to specify the source of funding. He explained that this measure would help ease the workload of the Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, and make budget monitoring more efficient. Lacson hopes the House will implement a similar approach amid concerns over its smaller committee structure.
The senator also highlighted the so-called “parking fee” or passing-through system used by some politicians. District representatives are reportedly no longer required to amend the budget for their own constituencies, as influential congressmen are said to insert allocations into various districts. These lawmakers then coordinate with district representatives on the amounts, often reaching billions of pesos.
Lacson also pointed out that during budget deliberations, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) website consistently becomes inaccessible — a recurring issue for several years, especially when the agency’s proposed budget is under discussion.
He further praised the recently launched Sumbong sa Pangulo website, noting that it has greatly aided his team’s investigations. Lacson added that more anomalous projects involving defective and substandard materials will be named in upcoming hearings.
