Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson urged the public to remain watchful over the implementation of the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which outlines the ₱6.793 trillion national budget, stressing that public scrutiny is vital to ensure real reform.
Lacson said taxpayers must closely monitor how the executive branch spends public funds.
“The same vigilance shown by the public—led by the Catholic Church, religious groups, and civil society organizations—must be maintained in watching over the budget’s implementation,” he said in a radio interview.
He warned against complacency, noting that the coming year’s budget will test the government’s commitment to reform.
“Our people must not let down their guard because the 2026 budget will show if there is indeed reform in our government and our nation. We must learn from the lessons of corruption in the budgets of 2025 and prior years,” Lacson added.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is expected to sign the GAA in the first week of January, according to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, amid earlier discussions on the possibility of a reenacted budget at the start of 2026.
While lawmakers continue to push for reforms, Lacson emphasized that the Senate alone cannot oversee the entire budget.
“I hope that since there are only 24 of us, we will have the support of many Filipinos. So I will say, may the force be with us,” he said.