MANILA, Philippines — From the “One Trillion March” to “One Trillion Pork,” Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said the fight for a clean national budget must continue as he considers bringing civil society groups into bicameral deliberations to help expose questionable spending.
Lacson said a Senate hearing with budget advocacy groups had reinforced his resolve to protect public funds, despite the troubling issues raised by the advocates.
“MAAWA NAMAN KAYO (Have pity)! Yesterday’s budget hearing left me torn between despair and hope. Engaging with diverse advocacy groups, both young and old, united as guardrails for public funds was truly inspiring. As a steadfast budget vanguard myself, it has further strengthened my resolve,” Lacson said in a social media post.
“From One Trillion March to One Trillion Pork — and all the way to Payatas!” he added.
Lacson described Monday’s hearing as a paradox, saying the concerns raised by CSO representatives initially made him question whether there was still hope for the country.
“I sensed a paradox in the hearing. On one end, after hearing the corruption they described, is there still hope for the nation? But after hearing their passion and advocacy, I thought there is still much hope for the nation,” Lacson said.
“Thank you, it was very informative and enlightening. It also strengthened our resolve. We already have a strong advocacy for a clean budget, and Monday’s hearing strengthened our resolve,” he added.
Lacson said he was considering inviting the CSO representatives to the bicameral conference committee hearings, where they could serve as a “cheering squad” for lawmakers pushing for a transparent budget.
“We can invite them in the bicam as a cheering squad so we will have a better chance in upholding transparency,” he said.
He stressed that CSOs help senators scrutinize the proposed budget and identify questionable items that lawmakers and their staff might otherwise miss, describing their contribution as a “multiplier effect.”
“Without you, we cannot do the job. Our staff are dedicated but they cannot comb through all the items in the budget in a short time. You are our multiplier effect,” Lacson told the advocates.
