Palace: Public execs must not make insinuations sans proof

Malacañang on Tuesday said public officials should not make insinuations especially if they lack evidence.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was reacting to the statement made by Senator Imee Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr., that her supposed ''insertions'' for the public's benefit were ''For Later Release'' or ''First Lady Rejects.''

''Unang-una po sana po pigilan, pigilan nila lalong-lalo na mga public servants, pigilan nila magbigay ng insinuation ng wala naman pong ebidensya,'' Castro said, adding that this could damage the work of the government.

(First of all, public servants should not make any insinuation without evidence.) 

''Kung sinabi po niya na siya ay nagre-request, inaamin po ba niya na may insertion na gusto sana niyang ipa-release?'' she added. 

(If she said that she was requesting, is she admitting that she has insertions?)

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III earlier allayed concerns regarding the reported insertions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), saying that making such moves during the deliberations is part of the regular process.

Sotto explained that not all insertions in the 2025 national budget were improper as they were individual amendments during the budget deliberations in the upper chamber.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson had disclosed that “almost all” the senators of the 19th Congress inserted at least P100 billion worth of items in the 2025 GAA. —RF, GMA Integrated News