Camille Naredo

Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, July 13, 2026. Joseph Vidal, Senate Social Media Unit

The Senate impeachment court on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, examines the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation-BARMM Regional Director Jeremy Lontoc as defense lawyers and senator-judges probe the legal and factual interpretation of “grave threats” and “inciting to sedition” under Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. Meanwhile, the House prosecution panel informed the impeachment court that it would no longer present Duterte’s chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez, and Legislative Security Bureau Executive Director Belinda Bello as witnesses.
Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit

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VP Sara Impeachment

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178676655873120260709-senate-impeachment-day5-SSMU-WA-31.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Senator Panfilo &quot;Ping&quot; Lacson during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, July 13, 2026. Joseph Vidal, Senate Social Media Unit"/>Senator Panfilo &quot;Ping&quot; Lacson during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, July 13, 2026. Joseph Vidal, Senate Social Media Unit</div>MANILA -- Senator Panfilo &quot;Ping&quot; Lacson on Saturday said he has observed some &quot;questionable&quot; lump sum appropriations for infrastructure projects in the proposed national budget for 2027, for which he will seek an explanation.Speaking on DZMM, Lacson said they &quot;spotted&quot; the lump sum appropriations of a government agency, and the issue may be formally raised at the briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on August 27.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/13/lacson-no-leadership-fund-in-2026-budget-1356">READ: No &#x27;leadership fund&#x27; in 2026 budget—Lacson</a></div>&quot;When we say lump sum appropriations, an aggregate amount is appropriated for a project, activity or program (PAP), or group of projects without detailing the breakdown of the cost of each PAP,&quot; Lacson explained.&quot;We will seek clarification on the details of these lump sum appropriations. Lump sum appropriations are allowed for calamity funds because we cannot predict when calamities occur,&quot; he added.&quot;But it becomes questionable if it&#x27;s for infrastructure projects. That is what we saw and we will ask for details on the matter.&quot;The Senate received the P7.2 trillion 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) last Tuesday, August 11.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/11/senate-receives-proposed-p7-2t-2027-budget-1731">READ: Senate receives proposed P7.2T 2027 budget</a></div>The Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau said in a press release that the national budget prioritizes investments in education, health, social protection, food security, infrastructure, jobs, digitalization, and disaster resilience, with Social Services receiving the largest share at P2.456 trillion.According to Lacson, he and his staff have already begun studying the NEP.Aside from the &quot;questionable&quot; lump sum appropriations that they have already identified, they will also check the NEP for possible special provisions that may potentially abuse the unprogrammed appropriations.Lacson also reiterated they will maintain the reforms initiated by the Senate and adopted all the way to the bicameral conference committee by then Senate finance committee chairman and now Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, including livestreaming the proceedings of the bicameral conference committee and posting online all documents related to the budget process.Finance committee chairman Senator JV Ejercito has already assured Lacson that he will not allow insertions in the bicameral conference committee, if they are not in the Senate or House versions of the General Appropriations Bill.&quot;I hope this year that under Sen. JV&#x27;s chairmanship, he will fulfill his promise not to allow insertions in the bicam level,&quot; Lacson said.

Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Saturday said he has observed some "questionable" lump sum appropriations for infrastructure projects in the proposed national budget for 2027, for which he will seek an explanation.

Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Saturday said he has observed some "questionable" lump sum appropriations for infrastructure projects in the proposed national budget for 2027, for which he will seek an explanation.

Lacson flags 'questionable' lump sum items in proposed 2027 budget

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Lacson flags 'questionable' lump sum items in proposed 2027 budget

ABS-CBN News

Published August 15, 2026 12:07 PM PHT

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2027 national budget

Ping Lacson

Philippine Senate

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