Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s claim that almost everyone in the 19th Congress had insertions in the 2025 budget has caused major concern among members, prompting the leadership to call for a caucus — which, curiously, was reportedly attended by only one member of the minority bloc.
According to a reliable source, some senators were fuming mad over the claim, fearing that such a revelation, if it got out of hand, would cause the downfall of the institution. Allegedly, they were fine with the way Sen. Lacson was handling the investigation until he made a statement that was “totally not in the playbook,” so to speak.
One senator active in the Blue Ribbon hearings questioned his intentions, while another asked what his end goal was. “Pa-pogi at their expense” was the conclusion. They and some other members reportedly wanted to bolt from the majority until cooler heads prevailed.
This is the reason why Lacson has stepped down from his post as chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee. Right now, the leadership is weighing its options until it can finally get back on track — hence, the suspension of the inquiry.
For those wondering about the alleged insertions, it turns out that only the Senate President at the time — who could either be Sen. Zubiri or Sen. Escudero — allegedly has the list of those and their corresponding proponents.
Once that record reaches the Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office, the names of the proponents are no longer indicated. This is why the membership is confident that nobody would be able to gain access to that information.
Interestingly, how broadcaster Anthony Taberna was able to get hold of the budget insertion records of Sen. Hontiveros remains a mystery. If those data turn out to be accurate, they would certainly cause anxiety among other senators, particularly now that he has begun naming other proponents.
If Sen. Cayetano replaces Sen. Sotto as Senate President, it would be an expected move. The fact that a majority of the senators approved the resolution calling for the house arrest of former President Duterte is indicative of a possible change in leadership.
At any rate, according to the same reliable source, the problem with Sen. Lacson and Sen. Sotto is that while they work in tandem, they often forget to seek consensus from the rest of the majority. Considering that everything is volatile and ambivalent, anything can happen.
Ultimately, everyone — regardless of political affiliation — seems to have dipped their hands in the cookie jar. That is the nature of systemic corruption.
Unlike in the Napoles case, where senators then could afford to be selective, the magnitude and complexity of the flood control issue may unwittingly produce results that are not palatable to everyone in government, including those in the Palace. However, expect the Senate to do whatever it can to protect itself and its members. It cannot prosecute everyone.
That’s why the onus is on the public to remain vigilant in demanding accountability and not be swayed by personality-based politics. Otherwise, it would be history repeating itself.