MANILA—Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said he will continue scrutinizing alleged corruption and irregularities in government spending, including issues involving the proposed 2027 national budget and flood control projects.

Lacson said his stance against corruption has remained consistent throughout his public service, from his years in law enforcement to his current tenure in the Senate.

“Mula law enforcement hanggang Senado, napakababa ng tolerance ko sa mga corrupt. I am always consistent in this regard. Talagang hindi ko sila tatantanan,” Lacson said in a post on X.

Lacson served in law enforcement from 1971 to 2001, during which he pursued criminals and police officers involved in corruption, including so-called “kotong” cops.

He also implemented a “no-take policy” against protection money from illegal gambling and rejected offers of bribes and hush money. The statement said he dismissed more than 2,000 police officers during his law enforcement career.

Since entering the Senate in 2001, Lacson has raised concerns over alleged irregularities in government spending and advocated measures against what he described as forms of “pork barrel.”

In August, he questioned lump-sum allocations in the proposed 2027 budget, including P180 million earmarked for evacuation centers in each of the country’s 17 regions, or a total of P3.06 billion.

He also raised questions over changes in spending targets for the Universal Health Care Program, citing instances when actual expenditures did not consistently correspond with the targets. The statement said the Department of Health adopted successive UHC financing plans in 2022.

Lacson likewise attributed delays and underutilization of some DOH funds to legislative insertions, saying lawmakers had added projects without consulting the department.

Meanwhile, Lacson and then-Senate finance committee chairman, now Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, facilitated a P162.9-million increase in the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s budget to support the integration of artificial intelligence into its anti-money laundering efforts this year.

Lacson has also proposed defunding government-owned and controlled corporations that consistently fail to perform instead of simply reducing their subsidies, saying this would allow the government to make better use of limited resources.

His scrutiny has also extended to flood control projects.

Lacson delivered privilege speeches last year on alleged corruption involving flood control projects in areas including Bulacan and Mindoro and later chaired Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings on the issue.

The evidence gathered during the hearings was furnished to the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice.

More recently, Lacson and his staff submitted at least 45 case studies to the Ombudsman detailing alleged “systemic anomalies” in flood control infrastructure projects in Taguig City. The cases were supported by official documents, and the Ombudsman is conducting a fact-finding investigation into the allegations.

Lacson and his team have also submitted additional evidence to the Ombudsman concerning alleged illegal reclamation and infrastructure projects in Taguig City.