Panfilo 'Ping' Lacson

Rule Changes

Resigned as Blue Ribbon chair after revealing scale of Senate insertions

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed a $115 billion budget on January 5, 2026, while vetoing $1.6 billion in unprogrammed appropriations—slashing discretionary funds to their lowest level since 2019. The veto follows scandal over phantom flood control projects: former lawmaker Zaldy Co admitted to inserting $1.69 billion into the 2025 budget, implicating Marcos's cousin, then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez, in an alleged kickback scheme.

Updated May 19