Pork, pork and more pork

Legislating measures is hardly the main reason politicians run for Congress — this goes for both members of the Senate and in the House.

The main reason, as it is reflected year after budget-making year, is the pork barrel they want to generally allocate unto themselves.

It was no surprise then that the proposed 2020 P4.1 trillion national budget was found to have been loaded with some P70 to P90 billion added to the budget, with about 70 congressmen who wanted increases in the appropriations for public works projects in their districts which would be included in the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) next year.

It will be recalled that the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) was withdrawn a week ago, but later returned and the humungous pork barrel allocations in the billions were the reason for the withdrawal — for them to include their pork barrel.

Still, congressmen will always be congressmen and they will always try to get more from the budget.

It will also be recalled that President Duterte had vetoed P95 billion that he tagged as irregular fund insertions by House members when he belatedly signed the P3.757 trillion budget for 2019 last April.

This time around, some 70 congressmen again tried to insert their pork for inclusion in the NEP.

Rep. Ungab, Appropriations chair, was quoted as saying that he understands their sentiments because, “These are regular projects (not included in the budget). I sympathize with them, but the amount is too big.”

“P70 to P90 billion — that’s too big an amount. It is very hard to put it now in the 2020 budget. We don’t know where to get that. If you get it from any department, it will really hurt the operations of the department,” Ungab stressed.

He added: “We will study that possibility because the vetoed items remain as unappropriated items. So, it is possible that we can tap it later. But I cannot say with a degree of certainty because it will all depend also with the Executive department, if they will submit measures to cure the problem,” he said.

Ungab said the issue must be resolved without disrupting the calendar of the House, which intends to pass the budget before going into its first recess in 5 October.

But trust congressmen not to give up their pork, so Ungab, to appease them some more, said he would appeal to the concerned lawmakers not to insist on the inclusion of their demand in the 2020 budget, suggesting that their request for the additional budget should be addressed after approval of the NEP.

“The complaint of those congressmen whose projects were vetoed by the President last time and also those whose budgets were slashed will be addressed at the proper time. But you cannot include that in the GAB, in this budget, because everything has already been itemized,” adding that itemized expenditures cannot be removed to accommodate the pork requests of the 70 or so congressmen.

What the House leaders should have done, had they wanted to have their proposed projects that are generally lined with pork, was to have discussed this matter with the department heads concerned, instead of resorting to budget insertions.

It is only now that a plan is being made for a meeting with the Departments of Budget and Management (DBM) and Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to settle the matter and “look for possible solutions and possible funding.”

Chances are high that the House leaders, to appease the congressmen whose pork has been slashed, will come up with a supplemental budget, which means that the 2020 budget and expenditure will still be higher by P70 billion, if the House of Representatives will have its way.

But there is also the problem of the Senate that will also scrutinize the House-passed 2020 budget, as the Senate did the last time.

However, from some reports then, there were also calls from the aggrieved House members whose pork were slashed against some senators who had inserted their pork barrel allocations with a congressional call for the Senate to name the pork-infested senators. The Senate refused to name the senators with their pre-NEP inserted pork — so it was claimed by some House members then.

Leaders of Congress know it is important for them to keep their congressmen happy, else, not solving the pork problem being sought by the 70 or so congressmen can mean disenchantment for them all of which may lead to a change in House leadership.

“Chances are high that the House leaders, to appease the congressmen whose pork has been slashed, will come up with a supplemental budget.

“Not solving the pork problem… can mean disenchantment for them all of which may lead to a change in House leadership.