Senate budget purge includes Sandro Marcos projects, says Lacson
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate majority will spare no one as it scrutinizes questionable items in the proposed 2027 national budget, Sen. Ping Lacson said Sunday, November 1.
"All means all," Lacson said as he backed Senate finance committee chairman JV Ejercito's effort to remove "unwarranted, whimsical and corruption-prone items" from the House-approved bill.
The scrutiny would extend to projects linked to politically influential lawmakers, including public works allocations for the congressional district of presidential son Rep. Sandro Marcos of Ilocos Norte, Lacson said.
Asked in an interview with One News whether those projects would be reviewed, Lacson replied: "Yes, absolutely."
Lacson said Marcos' district received the largest net increase under the House version of the spending bill. He added that senators were united in correcting questionable allocations, even those linked to allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
DPWH projects under review
The review will cover thousands of public works projects added after the executive submitted its National Expenditure Program.
The number of Department of Public Works and Highways projects rose to 16,244 in the House-transmitted General Appropriations Bill from 11,420 in the executive proposal, according to Lacson's office.
Lawmakers introduced 6,271 projects that had not undergone initial executive review, his office said.
Ejercito secured a commitment from the DPWH to remove infrastructure projects lacking complete supporting documents before plenary deliberations unless the agency submits the requirements by Nov. 3.
Budget watchdogs have also flagged projects without supporting documents as a major risk in the House-approved bill.
Transparency measures
Lacson said the Senate majority also supported greater transparency in the remaining budget deliberations.
Ejercito has said civil society groups would be invited to observe the bicameral conference committee, whose proceedings would also be livestreamed.
The majority agreed to retain transparency measures introduced under former finance committee chairman and now Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, Lacson said.
He added that he was unaware of any majority senator seeking to insert pet projects into the bill.
"In the Senate, I don't know if anyone would dare insert pet projects. I don't think so," Lacson said in Filipino. "When we chat, I can feel the sentiment of my colleagues."
The Senate will resume plenary sessions on Nov. 9. Debates on the proposed 2027 budget are expected to begin Nov. 23.
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