Abad to Magsaysay: Go ahead, sue me

MANILA, Philippines - Budget Secretary Florencio Abad welcomed yesterday the threat of Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay to file charges against him for withholding her pork barrel allocation.

“If that is her wish, so be it,” he said in a text message. “This is a free country.”” Magsaysay hit Abad’s “arrogance” in admitting during a budget hearing at the House of Representatives that her and others’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) were being withheld because of politics.

Magsaysay said Abad’s admission proved that presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda was “lying” when he declared on national television early this week that Abad gave assurances that all the pork allotments had been distributed.

“They were making me appear to be the liar when in fact, they were the one weaving tales to protect their image. And worse, they are blatantly admitting to politics as the reason behind withholding the pork that my constituents are entitled to,” she said.

“By withholding the pork barrel that has already been approved for our districts, the budget chief is doing an injustice to citizens belonging to our districts, and he is breaking the law.”

Magsaysay, Representatives Dato Arroyo of Camarines, Mikey Arroyo of Ang Galing Pinoy, and Augusto Syjuco of Iloilo have not received their PDAF in the last two years.

Malacañang said Abad has the discretion on who among the lawmakers would receive their annual pork barrel allocations.

Secretary Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications Strategic Planning and Development Office said the administration has vowed that “no district would be deprived” of pork barrel.

“I don’t want to get into specifics about why Secretary Abad has not released that,” he said. 

“I think the buck, as he said, stops with him and I’m not going to speculate at this point whether or not the President was informed.

“As budget secretary, Secretary Abad has a lot of leeway to make decisions like that, and he retains the trust and confidence of the President. 

“In general, releases are delayed if they are not aligned with the thrust of the administration or if we feel that the process needs to be followed more closely. Those are the general reasons why releases don’t happen when they should. “In the specific case of Congresswoman Magsaysay, I think the answers would be better sought from Secretary Abad.” 

Abad has promised that districts will continue to receive assistance in projects, regardless of whether their representatives belong to the administration or the opposition, Carandang said.