Lacson to question pork in 2016 budget before SC

DAVAO CITY – Former Senator Panfilo Lacson is set to file a petition for prohibition tomorrow with the Supreme Court, alleging that pork in the 2016 national budget will be making a return with the reincarnation of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

“In our careful scrutiny of the 2016 National Budget, we have discovered the obvious rebirth of PADF or pork barrel and DAP, both of which the Supreme Court has already declared as unconstitutional,” said Lacson, who added that he will be joined by “like-minded budget advocates” when he files the petition before the High Tribunal.

Lacson made this disclosure during the Eighth General Membership meeting of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCI) here Friday.

“We have sufficient documents, transcripts and photos in our possession that will prove that PDAF are still alive and kicking,” he said.

During the occasion, Lacson also discussed his strategies on how to eradicate crime, graft and corruption and how to access affordable and quality education and health services in the country.

The former senator was welcomed by officers and members of DCCCI, headed by its president Antonio dela Cruz and chairman of the board John Gaisano Jr.

Otherwise known as pork barrel, PDAF and DAP “remains as host to corruption and have carved out so much of the pie that could have gone to building more hospitals and providing health care services to the poor,” according to Lacson.

He described the pork barrel system as “ugly, cruel and sometimes merciless towards the people,” affecting the proper implementation of education and health programs in the country.

Lacson noted that, for education alone, there remains 59,464 positions for teachers in public schools that need to be filed under the 2015 budget.

“Why do we not fill the gap when a typical teacher is burdened to teach three shifts a day, seven classes per shift, 60 students per class?” Lacson asked.

He said that while the K-to-12 program has long been enacted into law, the government was still ill-prepared to fully implement it, citing also the lack of classrooms which would house the incoming grades 11 and 12 students.

“Year-in-year-out, a sum of 1 billion is directly appropriated under the Special Purpose Funds for the school building programs of DepEd (Department of Education),” Lacson said, adding that the fund was on top of the agency’s regular budget for school buildings.