Palace releases solons' P2-B 'pork'

Malacañang has released at least P2 billion of the pork barrel funds of congressmen.

Majority Leader Eduardo Gullas (LAMP, Cebu) informed his colleagues in a memorandum that the first tranche of their infrastructure funds is already available.

Although Gullas' memorandum did not say how much has been released, several congressmen told reporters that from P10 million to P15 million is available.

Since there are 219 House members, including party-list or sectoral representatives who also partake of the pork barrel, the total amount that the Department of Budget and Management has released would be from P2 billion to P3 billion, excluding funds for senators.

Earlier, Rep. Joey Salceda (LAMP, Albay) complained about the delay in pork barrel fund releases.

He said the government could be suffering from cash flow problems since tax collections were declining, or was giving priority to the expenses of the military.

Lawmakers are believed to have inserted in the P629-billion 2000 budget about P15 billion in pork barrel funds.

There was a gentleman's agreement between Malacañang and Congress that House members would be alloted P50 million each, while senators would get three times as much each, or about P150 million.

On top of these allotments, members of Congress can get funds for school buildings from the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, for farm-to-market roads and irrigation canals from the Department of Agriculture, for medicines from the Department of Health, and from other agencies for their other projects.

Meanwhile, three young Lakas congressmen denounced yesterday President Estrada's decision to veto 13 Congress-approved bills seeking the establishment of barangay high schools in nine provinces.

Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. of Camarines Sur said the President was ill-advised in rejecting the bills.

"There is no rhyme nor reason for the veto. The country is not swimming in a sea of schools. In fact, there are no schools in about 10 barangay communities," he said.

Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri of Bukidnon said for Mr. Estrada, the proposed high schools are unimportant.

"But for the intended beneficiaries, these are their ticket out of illiteracy," he said.

For his part, Rep. Hernani Braganza of Pangasinan said this is the first time in the country's history that a President rejected the proposed establishment of barrio high schools.

He said the President made a mountain out of a molehill when he spelled out his reason for vetoing the bills.

In his veto message to Congress, Mr. Estrada said the move to establish the schools "limits the flexibility of the Executive Branch and even of Congress to allocate fiscal resources to the priorities of the government."

But the three opposition lawmakers said the proposal would not "burn a hole in the government's pocket."

"Since when has education become an extravagance?" they asked.

They said the government has money to fund the military's campaign in Mindanao but scrimps when it comes to establishing high schools in remote barangays communities.

The vetoed bills seek the establishment of 13 high schools in Bukidnon, Compostela Valley, Batangas, Cotabato City, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Ifugao, Nueva Ecija, Davao del Sur, and Davao del Norte.

The Lakas congressmen said they do not expect their colleagues from the majority to overturn the President's veto.