THE NEXT President should be able to balance the budget, cut borrowings, and allocate more funds for debt servicing, Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Sen. Panfilo Lacson said.

“Sa tingin namin ni Senate President Vicente Sotto III saka sina General Guilor Eleazar, Monsour del Rosario at Dr. Minguita Padilla, masyadong malaki ang P5-trillion national budget for next year, kasi nga hindi naman nagagamit lahat,” Lacson said.

“So, dapat ibalanse ‘yung budget para liliit ang uutangin, saka para mabayaran ang debt service na tinatawag, interest payment and principal. Pero kung pataas nang pataas ang budget natin, paano tayo makakabayad?” he added.

The senator stressed the government should ensure that funds are invested wisely, such as in infrastructure projects or livelihood assistance for Filipinos.

These projects help the government generate revenue that in turn will help pay off the country’s massive debts, which swelled during the pandemic.

“Pero kung mali ang investment, mapupunta lang sa Pharmally, mapupunta sa mga ghost deliveries, maling investment ‘yun, lalo tayong lulubog sa utang. Kaya ang isang main program din namin ay we will go hammer and tongs against corruption in government, the higher in the administration the better,” he added.