Ping to Senate bets: Carry torch on scrutinizing national budget

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who is running for president, has urged senatorial candidates to “carry the torch” as watchdogs of the national budget.

Lacson said the task of making sure taxpayers’ money is used properly has never been as important as now, with a pandemic adversely affecting the economy and the national debt threatening to reach P13.42 trillion by June 2022.

Lacson directed his call specifically to senatorial candidates broadcaster Raffy Tulfo, retired national police chief Guillermo Eleazar and ophthalmologist Minguita Padilla. Eleazar and Padilla, like Lacson, are running under Partido Reporma, while Tulfo is a guest candidate of the Lacson-Sotto tandem.

“I hope you carry the torch. Our national budget is the nation’s lifeblood. If we allow the budget to fall prey to corruption and incompetence, it is not only us who will suffer but also our children and grandchildren. This early we should wake up to the problem because the budget is funded by our own taxes,” he said.

“I am not discouraging you but it is better that you win so you can carry on my fight,” he added.

Lacson is known for his meticulous examination of budget proposals during hearings.

Lacson, together with his running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III and some senatorial candidates, visited Cavite Friday.

Sotto is running for vice president under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Lacson lamented that with the national debt threatening to reach P13.42 trillion by next June, each of the country’s 111 million Filipinos – even newborns – is now indebted with P121,000.

“It would have been alright if we had invested the funds from our national debt in infrastructure, health and livelihoods,” he said.

Lacson and his team met with local officials and with members of local tricycle operators and drivers associations.