Lacson, Imee trade barbs over ‘personal attacks’

The exchange between Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Senator Imee Marcos has turned personal following claims and counterclaims on the existence of pork barrel funds in the 2026 national budget.

During the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Wednesday, Lacson rejected insinuations about his sexuality after Marcos said he should look into a compact mirror and that she feared getting dragged into a hair-pulling match by tangling with her fellow senator.

“Either Senator Imee thought na piluka ‘yung buhok ko or she was insinuating na bakla ako kaya siya naghamon ng sabunutan. On both counts, nothing could be farther from the truth," Lacson said.

(Either Senator Imee thought my hair was a wig, or she was insinuating that I was gay, which is why she challenged me to a hair-pulling contest. On both counts, nothing could be farther from the truth.)

"Una, hindi po peluka ang aking buhok. Idugtong ko na rin na walang peke sa mukha ko. Hindi rin pustiso ang ngipin ko. My teeth are all mine,” Lacson said.

(First, my hair is not a wig. I would also like to add that nothing is fake about my face. My teeth are not dentures—they are all mine.)

Lacson did not explain why he made such references about facial enhancements or dentures, but added that insinuations that he is gay are also false.

“Pangalawa, lalong hindi ako bakla. At kung iniisip ni Senator Imee na bakla ako, wala siyang maaaring makita na macho dito sa mundo," he said.

(Second, I am not gay. And if Senator Imee thinks I am gay, then she won’t see anyone macho in this world.) 

Lacson clarified that his denial should not be construed as opposition to homosexuality.

"I have nothing against homosexuals. It is their choice, and I respect them for that. But as far as I’m concerned, kahit hindi ako kagwapuhan, para sa akin, masarap pa rin na maging tunay na lalaki (even if I am not handsome, it still feels good to be a real man),” he said.

Sought for comment on Lacson's tirades, Marcos said she never said that he is gay.

“Walang masama sa pagiging bakla, at ganoon din sa pagpapa-enhance ng kahit ano para sa sarili mo. Desisyon ng tao kung gusto niyang magpagawa ng kahit ano sa sarili niya," she said.

(There is nothing wrong with being gay, just as there is nothing wrong with enhancing anything for yourself. A person decides to do whatever they want to their body.)

"Desisyon niya rin kung gusto niyang sirain ang mukha, pangalan at dignidad niya. Parehas ‘yang natatanong ng ‘magkano?’” she said in a statement.

(It is also their decision if they want to ruin their face, name, and dignity. It is similar to being asked, ‘How much?’)

Lacson earlier alleged that Marcos had at least P2.5 billion in “allocable” funds under the 2025 national budget, based on records of the late Public Works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.

Under the current scheme in the DPWH, "allocable" funds are fund entitlements given to lawmakers and other high-profile personalities, which are embedded in the DPWH budget for the year.

Marcos, for her part, claimed that the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA)—signed by her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.—was not a developmental budget but a “political” one.

She alleged that the budget was broken into parts to pave the way for a fresh impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, which she said could be filed in February following the lapse of the constitutionally mandated one-year ban.

The two senators also traded accusations over the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the alleged flood control scandal.

Marcos earlier claimed that Lacson barred senators from linking personalities—including her cousin, former Speaker Martin Romualdez—to the issue. Lacson denied the claim and urged Marcos to attend the committee’s next hearing, which he chairs.

According to Lacson, Marcos’ actions do not help the investigation.

“Sino kami para magbawal sa kasamahan namin? Talagang insulto ito sa integridad ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee—sa amin lahat, pati na rin sa kanya dahil miyembro siya ng Blue Ribbon," he said.

(Who are we to prohibit our colleagues? What she is saying is an insult to the integrity of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee—to all of us, including herself, since she is a member.)

Marcos cannot claim she was barred from hearings she rarely attends, Lacson said.

"Hindi nga siya uma-attend ng hearing, so paano niya masasabi na may pinagbabawalan? Ano ang intensyon niya—sirain ang kredibilidad ng imbestigasyon?” he said.

(She does not even attend the hearings, so how can she claim that anyone is being barred? What is her intention—to destroy the credibility of the investigation?)

Lacson said that if Marcos attends the next hearing scheduled for January 19, she will be given an hour to present evidence to support her allegations, if any.

Marcos promptly rejected the offer.

“Hindi ko kailangan ang isang oras para magsabi ng totoo, pero kulang na kulang ang isang oras para magsinungaling. Balato ko na sa kanila ‘yan,” she said.

(I don’t need an hour to tell the truth, but an hour is far too short to tell a lie. I’ll just give the hearing to them as a freebie.)—MCG, GMA Integrated News