Pork release not connected to budget approval, says Speaker

MANILA, Philippines - The release of part of the pork barrel funds of congressmen last week was not connected to their approval of President Aquino’s proposed P1.6-trillion 2011 national budget, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday.

He was clarifying reports linking the release of the funds to the approval on second reading by the House of Representatives last Saturday of the President’s budget proposal.

Belmonte said as early as two weeks ago, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) wanted to release the congressmen’s funds.

“The only reason why the SAROs (Special Allotment Release Orders) were not distributed two weeks ago is because of a resolution of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that it cannot be spent,” he said.

He said the Comelec was of the view that the infrastructure construction ban it imposed in connection with the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Monday covers projects funded by the national government.

“But we always maintained that the Comelec cannot bar the expenditure of national funds in a non-political, non-partisan election like the one for barangay officials,” he stressed.

He added that in an en banc resolution issued Tuesday last week, the Comelec clarified that nationally funded projects are not covered by the public works ban.

“So starting on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday up to Saturday, all the SAROs were released,” he said.

A SARO is a DBM document showing that funds are available for specified projects. Agencies use the document to start the bidding process for such projects.

On Thursday, Belmonte told a news conference that members of both the majority and the minority received the DBM document evidencing the availability of part of the second tranche of their pork barrel allocations for this year.

He said among the minority members who got their SAROs were two Arroyos - Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo and “one of the two sons” of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo.

As early as Sept. 27, House leaders called the attention of the Comelec on their all-encompassing public works ban.

It was Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., a vice chairman of the appropriations committee, who raised the issue in a budget hearing he presided over and which Commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer and Lucenito Tagle attended.

Andaya inquired from Ferrer whether projects funded by the national government were covered by the infrastructure construction ban.        

Ferrer could not categorically say whether these are covered, telling subcommittee members that if they applied for an exemption, he could commit to them the Comelec’s approval for their application.

He agreed that the prohibition imposed by the Comelec against the release and approval in audit of disbursements covers all infrastructure fund releases, whether national or local.

“But we have to study this matter. Anyway, the ban is just for 10 days, unlike in the election of national officials when the ban is for 45 days,” he said.

In the same hearing, Quezon City Rep. Vincent Crisologo told Comelec officials to exempt all congressmen from the recall of police bodyguards and the ban on the carrying of firearms.

“Why did you exempt only the President, Vice President, Senate president, and Speaker from the ban? We are all elected officials like them, we should be exempted,” he said.

Tagle, who chairs the Comelec security committee, said under the law, the nation’s top four elective officials and the chief justice of the Supreme Court are exempted from any election-related recall of bodyguards and the gun ban.

“All other officials and citizens are covered. The gun ban aims to control the carrying and proliferation of firearms, and minimize gun-related violence. If we make a blanket exemption, this ban will be useless,” he said.

But he assured Crisologo that if he applied for an exemption, his application would be considered and assessed.

“What do you mean by that? You mean you can deny my application?” a furious Crisologo asked.

“Your honor, our rules call for a threat assessment on the applicant. We refer the application to the PNP (Philippine National Police) and they make a recommendation,” Tagle answered.