Lacson wants scrutiny of lump sum items in 2027 proposed budget

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson wants to review “questionable” lump sum appropriation for infrastructure projects found in the proposed 2027 national budget.

“Meron kaming nasilip kaming pwede i-question o i-clarify na lump sum appropriations na sa tingin namin hindi dapat lump sum. Pag sinabing lump sum, may item pero hindi malinaw paano iimplementa. Nandiyan ang halaga. Meron siyang description pero di namin alam saan at paano,” he said at a DZMM interview early Saturday.

(We have identified certain lump-sum appropriations that we believe should not be categorized as such—items that can be questioned or require clarification. When we speak of a lump sum, there is a specific item listed, yet the implementation plan remains unclear. The amount is stated, and there is a description, but we do not know where or how it will be executed.)

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Lacson said he will raise the observed items of a government agency at the Development Budget Coordination Committee briefing set on Aug. 27.

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READ: DBM submits proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget to Marcos

The Department of Budget and Management last Tuesday, Aug. 11 formally turned over the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) to the House of Representatives, amounting to P7.2 trillion.

Lacson said that he and his staff had already started carefully assessing the NEP. 

He said that he intends to clarify how and where the lump sum will be used for, requiring every detail or breakdown of each government program, project, or activity.

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“Kung lump sum, dapat calamity fund kasi di natin alam kailan (nangyayari ang kalamidad). Kung infrastructure project, teka muna, kunan natin ng detalye. Bakit kayo mag lump sum kung papagawa kayo ng anuman, infrastructure projects? Yan isang nakita namin,” he explained.

(“If it’s a lump sum, it should be for a calamity fund, since we don’t know when a calamity might strike. But for infrastructure projects—hold on, let’s get the details first. Why use a lump sum for infrastructure projects? That is one thing we observed.”)

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He added that they will also review possible special provisions that may be used to abuse the unprogrammed appropriations.

Lacson likewise reiterated that they will maintain the reforms initiated by then Senate Finance Committee chairperson and incumbent Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, in the budget process up to the bicameral conference committee level.

These include the livestreaming of the bicameral conference committee hearings and posting documents related to the budget process online. 

Lacson said Senate Finance Committee chairman Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito has assured that he would not allow insertions that were not included in the Senate or House version’s General Appropriations bill (GAB) at the bicameral committee level.

“I hope this year under chairmanship of Sen JV, seatmate kami, talagang itaga sa bato gagawin niyang maayos. Sabi niya di niya papayagan gawin ng insertion sa bicam,” Lacson said.

(I hope that this year, under the chairmanship of Senator JV—who is my seatmate—he will truly ensure that things are done properly. He said he would not allow any insertions to be made during the bicameral conference.)

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He said that the policy would address a longstanding issue in the bicameral conference committee, when provisions not included in the GAB version of the Senate or House were inserted during the final stages of the budget process. /gsg