Sen. Imee Marcos Reacts To Sen. Ping Lacson’s “Pork” Accusation
IMEE MARCOS – The Senator reacted to the claim of Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson that she has a P2.5 billion allocable in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Since she aligned herself with the Duterte family, Sen. Marcos has been vocal about several issues in the government including the supposed massive corruption through the budget insertions. She was also one of those who are vocal against the presence of unprogrammed funds in the country’s budget.
On the 2026 national budget that was recently signed by her brother, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Senator claimed that there is allegedly still “pork” in the said funds but it is a “soft pork” or giniling. Her claim is amid the Marcos Jr. admin’s belief that the 2026 budget is the “cleanest and most proper” spending law passed as per Malacañang.
The total unprogrammed appropriations was decreased after the President junked 7 out of 10 UA items in the then-proposed 2026 national budget. It was last January 5, 2026 when the Chief Executive signed the country’s fund for this year amounting to P6.79 trillion.
Marcos Jr. rejected the following unprogrammed funds in the country’s budget for 2026:
- Budgetary Support for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations: P6.895 billion
- Prior Years’ Local Government Unit Shares: P14.623 million
- Insurance of Government Assets and Interests: P2 billion
- Payment of Personnel Services Requirements: P43.245 billion
- CARS Program (Automotive Industry Support): P4.32 billion
- RACE Program (Automotive Industry Competitiveness): P250 million
- Government Counterpart for Certain Foreign-Assisted Projects: P35.77 billion
Amid the claim of presidential Sister that there is allegedly the presence of “soft pork” still in the 2026 national budget, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson claimed that Sen. Imee Marcos allegedly has P2.5 billion allocable in the NEP. According to him, it is allegedly based on the files of the late former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.
Cabral was found unconscious and unresponsive below the cliff in Benguet last December 18. On the same day, she was pronounced dead. A few weeks before her controversial death, Cabral resigned from being the DPWH Undersecretary after she was implicated in the supposedmulti-billion flood control scam.
Recently, Sen. Imee Macos Hit back at the claim of Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson. Based on a post of News5, the presidential Sister called the P2.5 billion allocable as a “wishlist”.
“‘Di niya alam na lahat ‘yan ay wishlist na binigay sa DPWH Central Office. Clueless ba siya na kaming mga oposisyon lahat FLR or “for later release” kaya ni isa diyan ay walang naibigay, ZERO KAMING LAHAT nila Bong Go, Bato at Robin,” Marcos claimed based on the post.
Amid the political turmoil in the Philippine government, Sen. Imee Marcos was recently asked whether she is a senator or the “defender in chief” of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.