MANILA – Senate blue ribbon panel chair Panfilo Lacson on Sunday disclosed that “almost all” senators in the 19th Congress inserted at least P100 billion worth of items in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
The Senate president pro tempore cited documents he had gathered showing that these were individual insertions, although they were eventually held for later release (FLR).
While he has yet to review the list of House members, Lacson noted that the roster of congressmen who made similar insertions is lengthy.
“For the Senate, the insertions amounted to at least P100 billion. I was surprised because these are individual insertions although they were held ‘for later release’,” he said in an interview on radio dzMM.
“It was humongous. I have never seen such amounts. Before the Priority Development Assistance Fund was declared unconstitutional in 2013, ‘pork’ amounted to hundreds of millions. Now it’s at least P100 billion total for senators alone,” he added.
While insertions or amendments are not necessarily illegal, Lacson said they are questionable, especially when individual insertions reach P5 billion or even P9 billion.
“Such insertions could threaten the economy because the withheld or diverted funds could have gone to infrastructure programs that were planned and vetted at the barangay, city, and regional levels,” he said.
Lacson said he may ask the relevant agencies during the upcoming budget deliberations why such insertions were allowed.
“At the budget deliberation, I can ask why these insertions were allowed. In scrutinizing the budget especially in the plenary, I want to know how much of the insertions were released and how they were implemented,” he said, adding he is concerned about the release of unprogrammed appropriations. (Tina G. Santos © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
