Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Saturday, May 23, challenged the current Senate leadership to uphold the chamber’s reputation as a model of transparency, especially with the upcoming deliberations for the 2027 national budget.
Lacson, long regarded as a watchdog of public funds, made the statement just two months before the executive branch is scheduled to submit the proposed 2027 budget to Congress this July.
He expressed hope that the standard of accountability set by previous leaders would endure under the current administration of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
”Sa panahon ni Sen. Sherwin (Gatchalian) at saka ni Tito Sen (Sotto) as finance chairman and Senate President, papunta na kami doon. And I hope sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, ma-sustain ang ganoon,” Lacson said in an interview.
During the time of Sen. Sherwin (Gatchalian) and Tito Sen (Sotto) as finance chairman and Senate President, we were already heading in that direction. And I hope under the leadership of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, that will be sustained.
The former lawmaker emphasized that the Senate should serve as a benchmark of integrity for the House of Representatives during bilateral discussions on the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
”Kami na maging halimbawa na parang pagdating sa pagitan ng dalawang houses, kami na yung parang pinaka-big brother na tinintigalaan nila para sa pagbalangkas man lang ng national budget, maayos,” he added.
Let us be the example so that when it comes to the two houses, we are like the big brother they look up to, ensuring that at least in the crafting of the national budget, everything is in order.
Lacson highlighted the transparency mechanisms introduced during the creation of the 2026 GAA. Under the direction of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who then chaired the Senate Finance Committee, institutional safeguards were embedded directly into the budget bill. These measures included publishing critical budget documents online and strictly requiring the identification of proponents behind any budget insertions or amendments.
The call for transparency comes amid shifting dynamics within the upper chamber. The 11-member Senate minority bloc, led by Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, is currently backing Gatchalian for the Senate presidency in an effort to restore the institution’s integrity following recent political developments.
Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee is now under the leadership of Senator Mark Villar.
With the State of the Nation Address (SONA) approaching on July 26, Lacson reminded lawmakers that time is of the essence.
”Sana ma-sustain (ang transparency sa budget) kasi pagdating ng SONA sa July 26, nandiyan na naman ang National Expenditure Program at tatalakayan na ng Kongreso,” Lacson said.
I hope the transparency in the budget will be sustained because by the time the SONA arrives on July 26, the National Expenditure Program will be there again and Congress will begin its deliberations.