Dennis Gasgonia

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson flagged lump sums in the 2027 proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) during Thursday’s briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) before the Senate Committee on Finance.</p><p>According to Lacson, if the budget is execution-ready as Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Acting Secretary Kim Robert De Leon said, then why were there lump sums amounting to P180 million for evacuation centers in all 17 regions of the country.</p><p>“Wala man lang naka-specify saang lugar sa region, ilan ba yung regions na marami na evacuation centers, walang specifics. So, much as I would like to believe you, iba naman ang sinasabi sa NEP,” Lacson said. </p><p>“And mind you it’s not only for 2027. Nakakita din kami ng P100 million each for 2026, ganyan din po,” he added.</p><p>De Leon said the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) still has to finalize the list.</p><p>“Items like this, meaning those that are generic or what we call centrally managed items, are not included in those projects that can be procured early because we still require the agencies as part of the management function of the DBM for decentrally managed items to still submit to us the final details before these get to be implemented,” De Leon explained.</p><p>Lacson replied, “Di ba dapat sa budget preparation nandoon na yun?”</p><p>The lawmaker said he will just ask the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) during its budget deliberation.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;OVERACTING SECRETARIES&#x27;</strong></div><p>Senator Imee Marcos, meanwhile, flagged the numerous acting secretaries in the Cabinet. </p><p>“We are already in the budget season and yet we have no Budget Secretary. As it stands the Budget Secretary, with all due respect, Secretary Kim is merely in an acting capacity together with a number of very significant positions,” Marcos said. </p><p>“Right now as I see it, there are 12 acting or overacting secretaries depending whose side you&#x27;re on. And we know that firstly, it&#x27;s only routine administration that are allowed to do day-to-day operations, executive orders that are already existing. You have no discretionary or any personnel movements that can be made. How are we supposed to address what is a worldwide crisis with a Cabinet that is constituted by 12, at the very least, merely acting secretaries,” Marcos commented.</p><p>She went on and identified some of these offices — DPWH, DBM, Department of Transportation, Department of Justice, Department of Finance, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, Presidential Communications Office, Bases Conversion and Development Authority, and the Executive Secretary.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/27/recto-no-discretionary-fund-in-good-p7-2-t-budget-proposal-1411"><strong>Recto: No discretionary fund in ‘good’ P7.2-trillion budget proposal</strong></a></div><p>Marcos said she knows that the resource persons will not be able to answer her.</p><p>“Not only is this a perversion of what should be a system of checks and balances but we worry that you will not be as free and as able to come up with innovative and emergency measures,” Marcos stated.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>GROWTH TARGET</strong></div><p>Marcos also pointed out that the government’s collection does not correspond with its expenses and that the numbers are supposedly conflicting.</p><p>“You are reporing, through the DepDev, na talagang matumal ang benta, mahina talaga ang ekonomiya pero sa kabila nito, ang laki-laki ng dagdag kaya natataranta kami at hindi namin maintindihan bakit yung revenue collection natin sinasabi natin 9.2% ang dagdag sa tax, ang total revenue increase is 8.3% samantalang ang bagsak ng ekonomiya eh napakalupit at napakalaki,” Marcos remarked.</p><p>“Tayo ba talaga ay tuluyang delulu at taon-taon masyadong malaki ang ating projection? Labis-labis ang gastos hindi naman nahahabol,” she said. </p><p>Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the assumption they are making is that the economic business climate will improve.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/27/lawmakers-call-for-ched-budget-increase-as-49-state-schools-face-cuts-1741"><strong>Lawmakers call for CHED budget increase as 49 state schools face cuts</strong></a></div><p>“This weak sentiment that we are seeing is temporary,” Balisacan responded.</p><p>“I think if we can show to the public that the whole of government is sincere and serious about good governance, about restoring trust in our institutions, for example in the case of Congress we have indicated here those laws that we hope will be passed to help restore the trust and confidence in our institutions, that will significantly  improve the domestic side of our economy,” he explained. </p><p>Balisacan said other issues like improvement in investments will take some time but the potential of the economy is five to six percent.</p><div>  </div>

<p>Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson flagged lump sums in the 2027 proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) during Thursday’s briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) before the Senate Committee on Finance.</p>

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson flagged lump sums in the 2027 proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) during Thursday’s briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) before the Senate Committee on Finance.

Senators flag lump sum, ‘overacting secretaries’ during budget briefing

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Senators flag lump sum, ‘overacting secretaries’ during budget briefing

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 27, 2026 06:23 PM PHT

Read More:

DBCC

2027 budget

NEP

Ping lacson

Lump sum

Imee marcos

Overacting secretaries

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