Photo credit: Ping Lacson

While their accuser may have a selective memory, Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada haven't been cleared of the millions of pesos in questionable budget insertions.

This was the message from Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson. He emphasized that allowing the two senators to face their accuser, Engr. Brice Hernandez, doesn't mean they've been exonerated.

In a post on X, Lacson stated, "By any measure, Senators Villanueva and Estrada have not been cleared, at least on the issue of budget insertions involving infrastructure projects in Bulacan worth P600M and P355M respectively, as alleged by Engr. Brice Hernandez."

At a recent Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Lacson confirmed that documents showed a P600 million unprogrammed fund in the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA) for flood control projects in Bulacan, which Hernandez linked to Villanueva.

Lacson also noted that a P355 million fund for Bulacan infrastructure projects was found in the 2025 GAA's regular budget, which Hernandez connected to Estrada. Both senators have denied the allegations.

During the hearing, Lacson called out Hernandez for his selective memory after the engineer couldn't answer some of his questions. "I'm telling you, you can't be selective here," Lacson told him. "If you promise to tell the truth, you must tell the whole truth, not just what's convenient."

Despite this, Lacson stood by his decision to let the two senators participate, explaining it's a fundamental right for anyone to confront their accuser. He clarified that while they had the right to speak, his own staff's research into the budget books validates the allegations.

"Every person, ordinary or senator, has equal rights," he said. "The two senators have not been cleared of the budget insertions... I made that very clear today."