House smells ‘porky’
When we are talking of P700 million per congressman, times 300, that’s P21 billion. Plus P33 billion for (22) deputy speakers. If that will push through, that is P54 billion in pork
The P100 million allocation for each of the members of the House of Representatives does not sit well with the senators, particularly Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
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In an ambush interview yesterday, Lacson vowed that the Senate will scrutinize the P100 million allocation for each congressman which was supposedly included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the executive department.
Lacson stressed that budget for each congressional district should be based on the needs and priorities.
“By their own admission, at least by Rep. (Joey) Salceda, P100M per congressman, it won’t sit well with us, particularly on me, because the allocation in the districts should not be the same,” Lacson said.
“It should be need-based and priority-based. Because there are districts that would need more than other districts,” added Lacson, a known anti “pork barrel” advocate.
He said that if the allocation per House solon will be justified by the list of projects, this will not violate the Supreme Court (SC) ruling on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and it will not be considered as “pork barrel.”
“They said it’s P100 million. Where are the items? What is the description? Where are those? But if they introduce it as individual amendments, that per congressman has P100 million, if it’s not pork, I don’t know what it is,” Lacson said.
In 2013, the SC has ruled that the PDAF is illegal and unconstitutional. This jurisprudence prohibits the lawmakers to put a hand in the implementation of the budget after the president has signed the bill into law.
The SC ruled “any postenactment-measure allowing legislator participation beyond oversight is bereft of any constitutional basis and hence, tantamount to impermissible interference and/or assumption of executive functions. Any post-enactment congressional measure should be limited to scrutiny and investigation.”
Aside from that, Lacson mentioned information claiming that the 22 deputy speakers in the House will be receiving P1.5 billion each while each House solon will get P700 million each.
“The initial report we received, each deputy speaker, 22 of them, will be receiving an additional allocation of P1.5 billion. Easily that’s P33 billion. Each congressman will be given an allocation of P700 million,” Lacson said.
“I hope that it does not push through because that was a report transmitted to my office by some congressmen themselves. That is what they have agreed upon so that they will not create feud, P700 million each. When we are talking of P700 million per congressman, times 300, that’s P21 billion. Plus P33 billion for deputy speakers. If that will push through, that is P54 billion in pork,” he added.
On the other hand, Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Ty Pimentel defended the additional P1.6 billion allocation for the expenses of elected 22 deputy speakers in the House of Representatives.
Pimentel said the budget increase will not go solely to the expenses of the offices of the deputy speakers but the part will be allocated to the additional members of the lower chamber and for the repair of other buildings in Batasan Complex.
Last Friday, House Accounts Committee chairman and Cavite Rep. Abraham Tolentino disclosed that the chamber is needing P1.6 billion to accommodate the budget for the 22 deputy speakers as this was not included in the drafting of the NEP.
In 2013, the SC has ruled that the PDAF is illegal and unconstitutional. This jurisprudence prohibits the lawmakers to put a hand in the implementation of the budget.
The House has passed the 2020 General Appropriations Bill on third and final reading last Friday night.