32 new party-list representatives to get only half of 'pork' - Nograles

MANILA, Philippines – Thirty-two new party-list lawmakers will get only half of the P70 million yearly allotment for members of the House of Representatives.

Speaker Prospero Nograles told reporters at the weekly Ayes and Nays forum in Quezon City the new party-list lawmakers may be entitled to the other half when the 14th Congress ends on June next year.

“They came in May (this year), so I think they are entitled to half of it,” he said.

Nograles said the House will also ask the Supreme Court to clarify its ruling allowing the 32 party-list lawmakers to sit in Congress.

“We need legal clarification,” he said in a text message, when asked whether they would look for P2.3 billion in funds for the additional House seats.

The House was not a party-in-interest in the case, which was between party-list groups and the Commission on Elections, he added.

However, Nograles said Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya was inclined to produce around P100 million to P150 million “savings” of the House and other government agencies for the 32 new party-list lawmakers.

“The ball park figure I think that would be okay, for the upkeep of the offices is between P100 million to P150 million, easily,” he said.

“This excludes their entitlements for projects. The PDAF (pork barrel) can come later.”

Nograles said the expenses of the new party-list lawmakers was not provided for in the P1.415-trillion 2009 national budget.

Nograles said accommodating the new party-list lawmakers would mean an additional P134.4 million annually for the salaries of their staff and day-to-day operations.

Nograles said new congressional offices at the Batasan Complex can be possible after the new P700-million South Wing annex is completed next year.