PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said he wants to provide adequate aid to the country’s 42,046 barangays should he win the presidency in the May 2022 elections.
Known not to accept his yearly P200 million pork barrel since he was first elected senator in the May 2001 elections, Lacson said he wants funds directly funneled to the barangays.
Lacson and his running mate, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, want Senate Bill 23 or the Budget Advocacy for Village Empowerment (Brave) passed into law as it will give local governments, including barangay councils, the chance to implement their projects. Lacson is the standard bearer of Partido Reporma, while Sotto is running under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
From 1999 to February 2001, when Lacson was appointed chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), he reversed the existing 60-40 fund sharing scheme to favor the police in the frontline units.
According to Lacson, the PNP had a P10 billion budget, and the usual fund sharing scheme was 60 percent for Camp Crame and 40 percent for the various Police Regional Offices.
He changed this so that Camp Crame got 15 percent of the budget, the Provincial Command also got 15 percent, while the frontline units got 70 percent so that they could have the resources to use for their operations.
This type of scheme is what Lacson wants implemented through Brave.
“I wanted to push this particular program because I know what it feels like for local officials to not receive the aid that they deserve from the national government. If I become President, I hope to change that,” Lacson said in Tagalog.
Under the Brave scheme, Lacson vowed to provide each barangay with P5 million for developmental and livelihood projects while municipalities will receive P100 million to implement the same.
Lacson added that the 82 provinces nationwide will be entitled to P1 billion per year for the implementation of developmental and livelihood projects.
The presidential aspirant has long pushed for the passage into law of Senate Bill 23, to make sure local governments get enough funds for their development projects. This is also what the Partido Reporma wants. The party’s president is former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, while its secretary-general is Davao del Norte Gov. Edwin Jubahib. Lacson is the party’s chairman.
Aside from aiming to pass Brave into law, Lacson said he wants to consult barangay officials for the National Expenditure Program (NEP) because he does not want government funds to be wasted or go to corrupt officials. The NEP is submitted to assist Congress in the review and deliberation of the proposed national budget for the legislation of the annual appropriations measures for the next fiscal year. It contains the details of the government’s proposed programs.
On his part, Sotto reminded residents of Talisay City that he was instrumental in the passage of its charter back in 2001.
Sotto believes that his achievement in placing Talisay as a premier city in southern Cebu should help him get the support of the residents there.
He also spoke to Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr. concerning this matter.
When he explained to the crowd why they should choose their tandem, Sotto said their combined 40 years of experience in the Senate can speak for itself.
Lacson divulged his plans to around 1,000 people during his visit to southern Cebu Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. The event at the Enan Chiong Activity Center in the City of Naga was attended by 12 local chief executives including Naga City’s Kristine Vanessa Chiong, Talisay City’s Gullas, and Carcar City Vice Mayor Nicepuro Apura.
Also present were San Fernando Mayor Lakambini Reluya, Sibonga Mayor Lionel Bacaltos, Moalboal Vice Mayor Inocentes Cabaron, Ronda Mayor Mariano Terence Blanco, Argao Mayor Allan Sesaldo and barangay officials.
Lacson, the PNP chief during the time of then President Joseph Estrada, is seeking the presidency for the second time in 17 years.
He first ran in the 2004 national elections but lost to incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who had succeeded Estrada after the latter was overthrown in the Second Edsa Revolution in January 2001.