Manila: Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday acknowledged that the Senate's declining trust and performance ratings may be tied to public backlash over the controversial budget insertions and the chamber's handling of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. In a news release, Lacson said the public's perception of corruption - including the alleged 'pork' or bicameral insertions by some lawmakers - could have fueled the drop in public sentiment toward the Senate.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lacson highlighted that these issues may have contributed to the Senate's waning trust and performance ratings. He stated, "Maaaring naging dahilan ito, tama man o mali. Iyan kasi ang nakikita ng publiko at nababasa araw-araw. Maraming factors kaya kailangang mag-ingat tayo (These may have been factors, rightly or wrongly. That's what people see and read every day. There are many contributing factors, so we have to be cautious)."

A survey conducted by Octa Research from July 12 to 17 showed a significant decline in the Senate's trust rating, falling from 57 percent to 49 percent, while its performance rating dropped from 53 percent to 47 percent. Lacson noted that this survey coincided with reports linking senators to PHP142 billion worth of bicameral insertions and the archiving of the impeachment complaint against Duterte.

Despite these challenges, Lacson expressed optimism that recent initiatives promoting transparency, such as opening budget discussions up to the bicameral conference committee, could help restore public trust. "Sana magtuluy-tuloy itong transparency efforts at huwag na tayong magkaroon ng 'bulungan bicam' sa 2026 budget (I hope these transparency efforts continue and we no longer see a 'whispered bicam' for the 2026 budget)," he added.

Lacson also emphasized his commitment to reviewing the national budget, including scrutinizing questionable flood control projects.