Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said that the media and the public must stay vigilant to prevent manipulations in the budget bill, especially now that the proceedings in the bicameral conference committee are being livestreamed.

In an interview on Sunday, Dec. 14, Lacson said this will keep the pressure on lawmakers so they would not insist on funding for dubious programs, especially those that involve political patronage.

"Media and the public are the key here. If we all let down our guard, we may allow corruption to come back. We must remain vigilant not only on flood control projects, but also on the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Program and farm-to-market roads," he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

He said it is encouraging that the public is already criticizing the massive budget increase for the MAIFIP and the allocation of billions for farm-to-market roads in the budget bill.

Lacson earlier scored the funding for these items, saying he would not sign to ratify the bicameral conference committee report on the budget if these are not rectified.

"This is a good outcome of transparency through livestreaming. The media will know what is being discussed. And the public can discern and criticize the wrongdoings they see, like likening the MAIFIP and farm-to-market roads to pork barrel," he said.

"This also keeps our lawmakers aware. We have to be sensitive, especially at this time in our history due to the unprecedented corruption. That is why we insisted on livestreaming the proceedings," he added.

Lacson reminded fellow lawmakers anew that the public's outrage over the corruption behind anomalous flood control projects has not lessened, and any attempt to manipulate the budget to fund dubious programs - such as an reported attempt to revive the Tulong Dunong program - will be inviting trouble.

During the period of amendments in the Senate version of the budget bill, Lacson pushed for the deletion of P2.727 billion from the Tulong Dunong program - where lawmakers arbitrarily give out scholarships - and transferring it to the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) administered by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

"Public outrage has not died down on the flood control project issue. Now there is the issue of MAIFIP and farm-to-market roads. If some lawmakers try to revive the Tulong Dunong, that's another source of trouble," he said.