Senator-elect Panfilo “Ping” Lacson is not convinced by the responses from Malacañang and Senate President Chiz Escudero regarding allegations of pork barrel allocations in the ₱6.3-trillion proposed national budget for 2025.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro denied the accusations during a press briefing, stating, “Wala pong nakakarating sa atin, at hindi po ito nagiging isyu sa Palasyo, so sorry, we deny that.”
Escudero, for his part, neither confirmed nor denied the allegations, simply saying, “Hindi ko rin alam, hindi ko rin alam kung saan nakuha yung total na yun.”
Lacson, a longtime critic of pork barrel practices, countered the denials, citing what he called an “indirect acknowledgment” from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who vetoed multiple provisions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
“PBBM himself acknowledged it, albeit indirectly, by vetoing numerous line items in the 2025 budget after stating he could no longer recognize the President’s Budget or NEP due to insertions and realignments made by legislators from both Houses,” Lacson said.
He further asserted that lawmakers could no longer deny the issue, labeling the 2025 budget as “one of the most corrupt” in Philippine history.
“Denying the obvious won’t help obviate the negative public perception on one of the most corrupt budgets passed by the Philippine Congress,” he added.
Lacson previously served as Chief of the Philippine National Police and is well-known for his anti-corruption advocacy, especially in national budget deliberations.