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.
"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., This news data comes from:http://oarc.771bg.com
"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.
DPWH exec asked lawmaker to make budget insertions — Lacson
- House party leaders want to return proposed 2026 budget to Executive
- South Korea to ban mobile phones in school classrooms
- Palace to Discayas: Prove allegations
- Pagasa monitors LPA off Cavite, may still become tropical depression
- Need a pee? Japan has QR code for that
- Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce engaged
- House tackles P881B public works budget amid flood control anomalies
- Thailand set for vote on new PM after dissolution bid rejected
- Discaya says her family owns nine companies
- Israel ups pressure on Gaza City as Trump talks post-war plan
