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., This news data comes from:http://771bg.com
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.
DPWH exec asked lawmaker to make budget insertions — Lacson
"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.
- Indonesian police officer fired over killing that sparked protests
- Escudero subpoenaes 10 DPWH contractors for Senate probe next week
- Japan govt seeks to triple spending on drones
- Humanoid robots showcase skills at Ancient Olympia. But they're on a long road to catch up to AI
- China 'unstoppable', says Xi with Kim, Putin at his side
- Marcos to youth: Help in nation-building
- Isko files raps over demolition of sports complex
- Zelenskyy meets European leaders on Ukraine security guarantees
- DoTr seeks higher budget for 2026, requests P531B amid cuts
- Iran-backed Houthis raid UN offices in Yemen and detain at least 11 employees
