Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday, January 11, denounced Senator Imee Marcos’ allegations of “soft pork barrel” in the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), revealing that Marcos herself had an allocable fund of at least ₱2.5 billion in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP) based on the so-called “Cabral files.”
“Siya naman nagbuklat nito, sinabi niyang ‘giniling, tinadtad, pero merong pork’ (ang 2026 budget). Si Sen. Imee, meron siyang allocable dun na ₱2.5-billion dun sa NEP (National Expenditure Program), (based) dun sa Cabral files…,” Lacson said.
“Yung iba naman for later release (FLR); meron din si Sen. Imee dun, kung di ako nagkakamali, kung hindi ₱2.5-billion, nasa ₱3.5-billion. At yung FLR niya, may mga na-release duon,” he added.
Lacson criticized Marcos for lacking “moral ascendancy” to question the Blue Ribbon Committee, noting her role as a member of the bicameral conference committee (bicam).
“Bakit hindi siya nag-raise ng issue? Na ‘uy tadtad ng pork barrel to’—wala naman tayong narinig sa kanya. Pero nandoon siya sa bicam,” he said.
The senator also rejected claims that Senate minority members were blocked from speaking during hearings on alleged anomalies in government flood control projects.
“Di ko alam sinong sinasabi niyang nagbabawal: ako ba yun? Or Malacañang ba nagbabawal? Na hindi naman totoo?” Lacson said.
He explained that allegations against former Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co by Sgt. Orly Guteza have yet to be substantiated.
“Eh si Guteza naman nawawala, kung si Guteza sumulpot lang sa DOJ, sa Ombudsman or sa ICI…at itoy sinumpaan niya rin at inaffirm niya ang kanyang tinestify sa Senado, dun niya inimplicate si Speaker Romualdez at si Zaldy Co…Katunayan hanggang ngayon nawawala siya,” Lacson lamented.
Lacson stressed that Marcos’s attacks undermine the integrity of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
“Nasabi ko na ito: the best response to nonsense is silence, pero kapag nang-iinsulto na hindi rin mo na rin pwedeng i-disregard. Iniinsulto niya ang Blue Ribbon. Inuundermine niya ang integridad ng komite na member din siya,” he said.