Tag: pork barrel

Napoles asks SC to stop plunder trial with co-accused Jinggoy Estrada

Seeks overturn of Sandiganbayan resos vs case dismissal (Eagle News)–Janet Lim Napoles has asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order on her plunder trial where former Senator Jinggoy Estrada stands as a co-accused. Napoles also asked the SC to overturn the Sandiganbayan’s resolutions that dismissed her pleas to have the case junked citing  weak prosecution evidence. Napoles argued the Sandiganbayan committed grave abuse of discretion in issuing the resolutions, noting that no […]

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SC declares “lump-sum discretionary funds” in 2014 GAA as constitutional

(Eagle News)–The Supreme Court on Tuesday, Oct. 8, declared as constitutional the “lump-sum discretionary funds” in the 2014 General Appropriations Act which then-Manila Councilor Greco Belgica argued was pork. In dismissing for lack of merit the petition for certiorari and prohibition filed by Belgica, the SC noted that his reliance on the 2013 Belgica vs Ochoa case to argue that lump-sum appropriations are unconstitutional  was “misplaced.” In its 2013 decision, the SC abolished the pork […]

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Lacson says he’s “going all in” to ensure pork-free national budget despite Villafuerte, Defensor criticisms

(Eagle News)–Senator Panfilo Lacson on Saturday, Sept. 28, stood firm in what he said was his crusade against pork barrel despite criticisms by several congressmen. “(Deputy Speaker) LRay Villafuerte, Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, and other House members can take turns in maligning me while defending their pork but I’m still going all in,” Lacson said in a Tweet. Lacson was responding to Villafuerte’s claims the senator’s remarks the House had planned to grant P700 million […]

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Lacson says he’ll continue probe on alleged “pork” insertion attempt by the Lower House in nat’l budget

https://youtu.be/EyzvG1xhACI   (Eagle News) – Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said he would continue his investigation of the latest attempt by the House of Representatives to insert what he termed as “pork barrel” in the 2020 proposed national budget. Lacson said that while the lawmakers had alleged withdrew the alleged “pork” insertions in the proposed budget, he is still questioning why the House had created a so-called “small group committee” regarding the budget after it had […]

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Lacson: Congressmen have backed out of inserting pork barrel in budget bill following Palace statement Duterte would scrutinize it

(Eagle News)–Congressmen have backed out of inserting “pork barrel” amounting to P1.5 billion for each deputy speaker and P700 million for each congressman  after the Palace said President Rodrigo Duterte would scrutinize the budget bill. This is according to Senator Panfilo Lacson, in an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Sept. 25. According to Lacson, he received the information from a “source.” Lacson said he was unsure, however, about the P100 million Rep. Joey Salceda earlier […]

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Lacson asks public for help in ensuring “pork-free” 2020 national budget

(Eagle News)–Senator Panfilo Lacson is seeking the help of the public in ensuring that the 2020 national budget remains “pork-free.” “Any technical support from the outside will certainly help in our scrutiny of the 2020 budget books,” Lacson said in response to a question about whether or not his staff knew financial forensics. According to Lacson, budget deliberations start this week in the 18th Congress. “It is time to play another protracted game of “hide-and-seek”: they […]

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Sandiganbayan finds there is sufficient evidence to convict Estrada, Napoles for plunder

Junks  demurrer to evidence of former senator, alleged pork barrel queen (Eagle News)–The Sandiganbayan has found the prosecution has presented sufficient evidence to warrant the conviction of Jinggoy Estrada and Janet Lim Napoles for plunder involving P183 million worth of Priority Development Assistance Funds. The fifth division said this as it denied the demurrer to evidence–which aims to dismiss a case because of weak evidence–filed by Estrada and Napoles. In December last year, the Sandiganbayan […]

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Lacson files bill seeking to institutionalize direct public participation in the budget process

(Eagle News) — Senator Panfilo Lacson has filed a bill institutionalizing the direct participation of people’s organizations and non-government organizations in the preparation of the country’s annual spending bill. In filing Senate Bill No. 2219, Lacson said there was a need “to achieve a people-oriented budget as well as establish transparency and accountability in the budget process.” Under the bill, civil society organizations can observe public consultations, and submit position papers to national government agencies […]

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Lacson: “Budget impasse” now in House due to “dizzying pork”

(Eagle News)–The “dizzying pork” has now caused a “budget impasse” in the House of Representatives, which has failed to recall the budget bill it transmitted to the Senate for signature, Senator Panfilo Lacson said. “Just when the stalemate between the Senate and the House is about to end..Meantime, we wait ” Lacson said in a Tweet. Lacson was referring to the deadlock between the two houses of Congress, following the senator’s accusations the Lower House […]

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Lacson: Insertions, realignments of some lawmakers to nat’l budget even after Congress ratification “revolting”

(Eagle News)–Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday, March 1, slammed as “revolting” what he said were the insertions and realignments being done by some lawmakers to the P3.7-trillion national budget for 2019 even after the bill was ratified by both houses of Congress. He said this was as some lawmakers felt “anxiety” for the slashing of the pork barrel allocations of at least 60 colleagues after the bicameral ratification of the proposed national budget. “I have it on […]

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Andaya confirms Lacson’s claim; says P75-billion “insertion” in nat’l budget to be divided among congressmen, some senators for their projects

(Eagle News)—The P75 billion which House appropriations chair Rolando Andaya Jr. described as an “insertion” in the proposed national budget would be divided among members of the House of Representatives and some members of the Senate, he admitted on Sunday, Feb. 10. Andaya’s statement in an interview over radio dzbb is a confirmation of  Senator Panfilo Lacson’s earlier claim. Lacson had said each congressman had been allotted P160 million to supposedly fund their projects. Some senators, […]

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Lacson “thanks” Bravo, Castro for “educating” public about “evil pork” in proposed nat’l budget

(Eagle News)–Senator Panfilo Lacson on Sunday, Feb. 3, “thanked” two congressmen for allegedly making the public know about the “evil pork” in the proposed national budget. “What Speaker [Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s] talking heads obviously do not realize is that they’re actually advancing my cause in educating the public more about the ‘evil pork’ in the national budget,” Lacson said, referring to House Majority Leader Fredenil Castro and COOP-NATCCO party-list Rep. Anthony Bravo. Lacson made the statement […]

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