MANILA—Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson questioned why the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) had not denied employing a staff member named “Stephanie,” who allegedly offered his office P5 million in allocation funds.

Lacson said TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez had denied authorizing anyone to make such an offer but had not categorically clarified whether the person identified as Stephanie Cordez was an agency employee.

“I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt na nag-deny siya agad and nagpasalamat na binigay alam (ko ang tungkol sa) pangyayari. Pero hindi ako kumbinsido, it’s much simpler if the good secretary had categorically said ‘wala kaming staff na ganyan.’ Doon agad maconvince tayo may gumagamit ng pangalan niya. Pero walang denial, sa pagkaalam ko (I am willing to give TESDA Sec. Benitez the benefit of the doubt after he immediately denied authorizing anyone to make the offer, and thanked me for bringing up the matter. But I am not quite convinced. It is much simpler to say they had no such staff, to convince us that someone was using his name. But to my knowledge, there was no such denial),” Lacson said in interviews with DZMM and DZBB radio.

The senator said it remained possible that a TESDA employee had made the offer under instructions from other officials, although not necessarily from Benitez himself.

“Baka may staff sila, hindi siguro kikilos (na walang utos) not necessarily from Sec. Benitez. (And) I’d like to believe di lang ako ang nili-liaise nila. Ako, in-expose ko para maliwanag na tinanggihan ko (It is still possible they have a staff who made the offer, and that staff would not move without orders from higher-ups, not necessarily Sec. Benitez. And I’d like to believe I am not the only one they tried to liaise with. I exposed the offer to make it clear I did not accept it),” he said.

Lacson disclosed the alleged P5-million offer on Saturday after his Senate staff received a message from someone identified as “Stephanie Cordez from TESDA Central Office” and an “assigned liaison officer for Senator Ping Lacson.”

The message thread claimed the sender had obtained the Senate staff member’s contact number from someone identified as “Attorney Cyril Santiago.” After Lacson declined the offer, Stephanie reportedly replied that she would “relay to our heads.”

The senator warned government agencies against offering legislators budget allocations and said he had considered an entrapment or sting operation to arrest those involved. However, he said he took pity on Stephanie, whom he believed might have been following instructions.

Lacson said he had instructed his staff to provide Benitez with all available details to assist TESDA’s internal investigation. He also plans to seek further clarification when the agency’s proposed 2027 budget reaches plenary debates in November.

“It is not the amount. The act of offering P5 million, mali na kaagad. Saan kukunin ang P5 million kundi sa pondo din ng bayan, kung sakaling totoo? Sa akin naman maliit o malaki, mali mag-offer ka ng pera kung saan nag-deliberate kami. That’s one form of lobbying, and that’s also a form of bribery (It is not the amount but the act of offering P5 million that is immediately wrong. Where would you get the P5 million if not from taxpayers’ money? Whether the amount being offered is big or small, it is unacceptable to offer it especially when we are deliberating on the budget. That’s one form of lobbying, and that’s also a form of bribery),” he said.

Lacson said agencies whose proposed 2027 budgets were reduced under the National Expenditure Program could appeal to the House of Representatives and the Senate for funding restoration, provided they could justify their requests.

He added that the Senate would continue scrutinizing the proposed budget with the help of budget advocates and civil society groups.

The senator also called for greater transparency in budget deliberations, including keeping livestream cameras running during suspensions of proceedings, particularly at the bicameral conference committee level.

“So dapat ituloy ang practice ng transparency pagdating sa budget (We must sustain the practice of transparency in the budget),” he said.

Lacson warns against excessive ‘ayuda’ spending

Separately, Lacson cautioned against excessive reliance on government assistance programs, including the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially-Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) and the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).

He cited accounts of beneficiaries allegedly spending assistance funds on shopping and gambling, arguing that public spending should prioritize more productive investments.

Lacson said the projected budget deficit of P1.695 trillion and national debt of P21.48 trillion in 2027 could further strain the country’s finances. He also cited projected gross borrowings of P3.043 trillion in 2027 for principal and interest payments.

He noted that the Senate’s plan to cut P2 billion from its own proposed budget under the National Expenditure Program could demonstrate fiscal discipline and free up funds for education, health and other productive programs.

“Kung hindi tayo mag-invest sa productive endeavors walang balik yan. Lubog tayo ng lubog sa utang (If we don’t invest in productive endeavors, we won’t benefit in the long run. We will instead continue to sink deeper in debt),” Lacson said.