Better Reenacted Than Rotten: Lacson Warns Against a Graft-Ridden 2026 Budget
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has issued one of the strongest warnings yet in the ongoing 2026 budget standoff:
“Better a reenacted budget… than an unchecked, corruption-conducive, graft-ridden GAA.”
It’s a statement that rattles the usual fear narrative — the idea that a reenacted budget is always disastrous. Lacson flips that argument on its head.
According to him, delay is less dangerous than deception.
⚖️ What a Reenacted Budget Really Means
Under Article VI, Section 25(7) of the 1987 Constitution, a reenacted budget simply means the government operates using the previous year’s budget when Congress fails to pass a new General Appropriations Act (GAA) on time.
It is constitutional.
It is legal.
And in extreme cases, it is safer.
Lacson warns that rushing to pass a deeply flawed budget risks locking in distortions that could haunt the country all throughout 2026.
🚨 Why the Warning Is Serious
The concern is not hypothetical.
The 2025 GAA has already been criticized as one of the most problematic in recent history:
Bloated DPWH allocations
PhilHealth reduced to zero subsidy
Weak safeguards against fund manipulation
Reenacting that same budget without correction would freeze these failures in place, delaying vital programs, stalling economic targets, and endangering social services — especially healthcare.
🦅 AGILA TAKE (Satirical Jab)
Mas takot sila sa delay
kaysa sa corruption.
Mas gusto ang mabilis na pirma
kahit bulok ang laman.
Pero ang bansa,
hindi fast food ang budget.
🧠 A Call for Sobriety, Not Speed
Lacson emphasizes that the bicameral conference committee must act with:
Urgency, yes
But also sobriety, responsibility, and restraint
A “clean, accountable GAA” is not optional — it is the minimum requirement. Anything less risks further eroding public trust at a time when institutions are already under strain.
📖 Biblical Reflection
“Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.”
— Proverbs 16:8
A smaller, slower budget rooted in integrity
is better than a massive one built on corruption.
🧠 Why This Matters
This moment defines what kind of governance the country chooses:
Speed over scrutiny, or
Integrity over impatience
Lacson’s message is clear:
👉 A bad budget passed quickly can do more damage than a delayed one done right.
