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., This news data comes from:http://www.redcanaco.com
"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.
"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
- Malacañang calls plot to jail VP Duterte 'wild imagination'
- 102-year-old becomes oldest person to summit Mount Fuji
- House resumes budget briefings
- Israeli strikes in Yemen's capital kill six, Houthis say
- 4 of 15 contractors on Marcos list have clean records – DPWH
- US approves .5M in assistance to Nigeria to help address hunger
- Follow the trucks: Why investors are looking south of Metro Manila
- DPWH opens foreign-assisted projects to LGUs
- Taiwan: China illegally deploying oil rigs in its waters
- Xi slams 'bullying' in speech to regional leaders at summit
