Almost all senators in the 19th Congress have insertions amounting to P100 billion in the 2025 national budget, according to Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson.
In an interview, Lacson said he saw in the documents that there were large amounts of insertions placed for senators, which were still marked as “for later release.” He added that this did not include the list of congressmen who were also allegedly involved.
According to Lacson, previously the insertions were only in the hundreds of millions, but now it has reached P100 billion. Although the insertions are not illegal, he said it is questionable why there is P5 to P9 billion per senator.
He emphasized that such a system could affect the economy and government programs that should be available to the public. He said the budget should be adjusted to large projects such as infrastructure, livelihoods, and social services rather than prioritizing personal interests.
Lacson called this the “original sin” of the budget system because without insertions, district engineering offices would have almost no funds. He called on lawmakers to use their power to amend funds and review the direction of major projects.
