MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson said an official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) called up one lawmaker to make early insertions in the proposed national budget for 2026.
The senator on Sunday said a caller claiming to be "Undersecretary Cabral" from DPWH called up a staff member of Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III shortly after the May 2025 senatorial elections.
DPWH exec asked lawmaker to make budget insertions — Lacson, This news data comes from:http://mrofh.705-888.com
"One 'Undersecretary Cabral' called Sotto's staff and told them to insert what they wanted to insert [in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026]," Lacson said in a radio interview.
"If Sen. Sotto was one of those called by that executive, who else could have been contacted similarly and submitted their proposed insertions?" he said in Filipino.
"Senator Sotto told me he did not submit anything because we are advocating transparency and good governance. The question now is, how many members of the House and Senate made insertions?" Lacson added.
- 17 House lawmakers press Marcos administration to raise WPS issue to UN
- Hontiveros pushes P15,000 salary hike for teachers
- LPA trough, 'habagat' to bring rains in parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila
- DPWH fires Bulacan engineers, blacklists contractors over anomalous projects
- Heavy rain causes flooding, landslides and 8 deaths in Vietnam and Thailand
- Israel military says controls 40 percent of Gaza City
- Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra sacked; new turmoil feared
- Undersea cables cut in the Red Sea, disrupting internet access in Asia and the Mideast
- Vietnam evacuates thousands ahead of Typhoon Kajiki
- GoTyme gives customers 20 free InstaPay transfers per month
