SEN. Panfilo M. Lacson Sr. vowed to closely scrutinize the 2019 budget when it is submitted to the upper chamber by the House of Representatives early this week after he discovered the purported “pork barrel” funds for congressmen tucked in the annual money measure.
In an interview on Sunday, Lacson disclosed he was provided an initial copy of the “juggled” allocations in the proposed budget that were touched and transferred to lawmakers’ pork barrel funds. “Meron na akong initial copy ng pinanggagagalaw nila na talagang may pork.”
The senator added: “Maski sabihin nilang walang pork barrel malinaw na talagang may pork [Even if they say there is no pork barrel, it is clear that there is pork].”
Lacson said this is because “the initial information subject to validation is that all congressmen were allotted P60 million.”
“All congressmen were allotted P60 million each. They fought over the P51 billion and what was retained to the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] is P30 billion to P31 billion. I think a P4-billion fund was tapped so congressmen would get P60 million,” he said in Filipino.
Lacson admitted, however, he could not say for sure if other congressmen were not included among the recipients of the P60-million pork barrel said to be alloted to each House member, but no one stood up to question it when the money measure was approved by the House in plenary.
“I’m not sure if some congressmen were excluded. But it appears that all congressmen would get pork barrel because nobody questioned the bill on the floor when the measure was approved on the second reading and third reading. So, I suppose, everybody is happy,” he said in Filipino.
Lacson said the money measure still has to pass in the Senate, where it would be subjected to further scrutiny.
Asked where the P60-million pork barrel intended for each House member was drawn, Lacson said: “They have P51 billion, that’s another P4 plus billion, where it was drawn.”
Lacson said the senators are expected to conduct further scrutiny to track down the pork barrel insertions.
“We will have to comb through the measure first. And of course, what I got was just initial information. Once the GAB [General Appropriations Bill] reaches the Senate, we will be able to validate if there are pork barrel funds for congressmen,” he said in Filipino.
Voting 196-8, members of the lower chamber endorsed for Senate approval House Bill 8169, or the Fiscal Year 2019 General Appropriations Bill on November 21.
Majority Leader Rolando G. Andaya Jr., in a news conference, assured the public the 2019 budget is “pork barrel-free.”
“Everything we are doing here is compliant with all the pertinent laws and the Supreme Court decision [on the Priority Development Assistance Fund],” he said.
House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairman Maria Carmen Zamora said the P3.757-trillion budget is the first annual cash-based budget of the Philippine government.
4 comments
Better check your facts ping. I think SGMA and the house are doing their best to give better public service.
Pasikat n nman tong c Ping. Dapat nga ay maipasa na ang budget for 2019 para masimulan na agad ang mga projects at ng mpakinabangan na ng taong bayan.
Ayun nman pla walang pork. Dapat maipasa na ang budget para sa 2019 para masimulan n rin ang mga proyekto at ng mapakinbangan na ng taong bayan.
Hoping for these public servants to unite as one.