'74 solons exceeded pork barrel; P6 billion went to 82 NGOs'

MANILA, Philippines - At least 74 legislators exceeded their respective allocated Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) from 2007 to 2009, the Commission on Audit report revealed on Friday.

At a televised press briefing, COA chairwoman Grace Pulido-Tan said these lawmakers got more than by “hundreds of millions” in their pork barrel.

"Pag sinabi nating labis-labis... hindi lang po P1 million o P5 million, ang labis hundreds of millions and at least one lawmaker got almost P3 billion allocation for PDAF,” COA chairwoman Grace Pulido-Tan said.

She also disclosed that one lawmaker, whom she declined to name, allegedly received P3 billion of PDAF in all.

“Paano nangyari na isang kongresista ay halos 3 billion ang na-release sa kanya? Ano itong mga proyekto na ito,” asked Pulido-Tan.

Senators are allocated with P200 million in pork barrel funds yearly while congressmen receive P70 million each.

The COA report revealed that a total of P32.347 billion were released out of the allocation of 356 legislators from 2007 to 2009, including a ceratin Luis Abalos who is not a member of the 13th and 14th Congress.

Pulido-Tan also said 12 senators and 180 representatives allocated P6.156 billion in priority development assistance funds to 82 non-government organizations from 2007-2009.

The COA chief said the special audit they conducted clearly showed irregularities in the use of the PDAF ranging from excessive pork barrel allocations, overpricing to ghost deliveries and ghost beneficiaries.

She said the irregularities became possible because of a combination of corruption and the failure of national government agencies, lawmakers' offices, and lapses by the Department of Budget and Management itself, which did not follow its own rules in some cases.

She said that her agency is already in the process of issuing notices of disallowance, a process that she said could take one year.

Some of the key findings of the COA report include:

1. Dozens of lawmakers received PDAF beyond their respective allocations.

2. Some funds were released for projects outside of a congressman's legislative district or sector.

3. One non-lawmaker, a certain "Luis Abalos," received P20 million PDAF and no agency could explain how this happened.

4. No endorsement from the agencies for which the funds were released, which violates the Budget Department's own rules.

5. Of the 82 NGOs covered by audit, many had dubious addresses; some were traced to shanties, or just the home addresses of some members.

6. The delivery of goods and services by NGOs, amounting to billions of pesos, were not made through public bidding.

7. Many NGOs used the same suppliers usually for purchase of agriculture products; some suppliers denied transacting with NGOs while some admitted selling seedlings and other products but denied that the transactions reached millions of pesos.

8. Some suppliers had no business permits when COA checked with respective LGUs.

9. P123 million of funds were used to pay salaries of workers in NGOs

10. Many projects were deficient, overpriced, lacked specifications and subject to split contracts.

11. 54 projects costing P154 million were constructed on private lots, with no evidence that the lots were turned over to government.

12. There were also cases when the list of beneficiaries was taken from the list of those who took the Board Exam.