The majority of Filipinos consider “illegal insertions” as “acts of terrorism,” inimical to their interests and a threat to national security.

Based on reports from September 2025, Senator Ping Lacson revealed that at least P100 billion in “insertions” — individual amendments or additions --- were found in the 2025 national budget, with many, if not all, of the senators involved.

While these insertions were to be “held for later release,” they were described as “humongous,” or too huge and highly questionable, surpassing the scale of previous pork barrel allocations that were declared unconstitutional.

The massive, questionable allocation of funds as “pork barrel” or discretionary funds inserted by lawmakers into the budget was too much and constituted acts of terrorism against the Filipino people.

1. The P100-Billion Insertion: Senator Lacson highlighted that senators inserted at least P100 billion in the 2025 budget, with some individual senators allegedly adding P5 billion to P9 billion each. These funds were described as “hidden” or “held for later release,” often favoring specific contractors or projects.

2. Political Context: The allegations caused significant debate, with accusations of corruption, misuse of public funds and manipulation of the budget process involving the Department of Public Works and Highways. Some allegations specifically pointed to the involvement of various political figures and officials.

3. Terrorism vs Corruption: While the Philippines has strict laws against terrorism (RA 11479, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020) and terrorism financing (RA 10168, the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012), the P100-billion insertion was categorized as a corruption or a political issue under the legal definition of terrorism. Corruption, however, is often viewed as a form of economic sabotage that cripples national development.

There is a close link between corruption and terrorism. Corruption enables organized crime by providing protection, facilitating illegal transactions and obstructing justice, while organized crime fuels corruption through bribery, intimidation and violence.

Both corruption and organized crime undermine democratic institutions, erode public trust and threaten economic stability.

The erosion of public trust caused by corruption creates fertile ground for extremist narratives, recruitment and radicalization, particularly among marginalized groups.

Corrupt practices such as bribery, embezzlement and abuse of authority facilitate the illicit trafficking in weapons, drugs and human beings, providing crucial revenue streams for criminals and terrorist groups.

Criminal and terrorist networks often exploit corrupt environments to secure safe havens, procure forged documents and move illicit funds across borders undetected.

Systematic corruption within the judicial system can obstruct investigations, weaken prosecutions, and allow criminal and terrorist actors to evade accountability, perpetuating cycles of violence and instability.

Corruption facilitates the infiltration of organized crime networks into all sectors of society, including politics and law enforcement, allowing them to influence decision-making and gain access to privileged information on upcoming law enforcement operations, thus hindering crime detection and investigation.

In summary, the P100-billion insertion referred to massive, illegal, or unethical budgetary allocations rather than an act of terrorism. It was seen as a “cash cow” for politicians, not an act aimed at sowing widespread terror, although it caused immense damage to the public trust and national funds.

Email: arturobesana2@gmail.com