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PALAISIPAN para kay dating Senador Panfilo Lacson ang aniya’y pananahimik ng Senado sa usapin ng blank budget sa 2025 national budget bicameral report.
Hirit ni Lacson, isang senate inquiry para tukuyin — at lapatan ng karampatang parusa ang mga mambabatas sa likod ng bigong tangkang magpalusot ng bilyon-bilyong insertions nang walang tukoy na programa o proyekto.
Pag-amin ng dating senador, hindi na bago ang modus ng mga kongresista ang blank appropriations sa Bicameral Conference Committee. Katunayan aniya, buwan ng Disyembre ng taong 2018 nang mabisto ni former President Rodrigo Duterte ang blank appropriations sa 2019 General Appropriations Bill.
Ang resulta – ginamit ng dating pangulo ang veto power, alinsunod sa rekomendasyon ng senado na noo’y pinamumunuan ni former Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
“The bicam report on the 2025 budget that reportedly contained blank appropriations and was signed by the bicameral conference committee members looks like a repeat of the 2019 General Appropriations Act, when former President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed P95.3 billion upon the then Sotto-led Senate’s strong representation after we discovered anomalous entries in the printed Enrolled Bill that were not reflected in our ratified bicam report,” ani Lacson.
“But the big difference now is, it seems nobody among the present senators dared – or cared – to scrutinize the budget documents. Hence, this controversy is now brewing,” dagdag ng dating senador.
