Sotto waives pork barrel; gives P50-M to UP, state univs

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Tito Sotto announced Wednesday that he is foregoing his use of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for 2013 and for the remaining years in his term.

"My decision is intended to forestall any further controversy that may arise in the use of the PDAF, particularly that it is a vehicle for corruption and that it is used to fund ghost projects," Sotto said in a privilege speech.

Sotto said as a public servant, he cannot ignore the public clamor for the abolition of lawmakers' pork barrel.

For his remaining PDAF this year, Sotto said he will submit to the Senate P50 million, which will be allocated to specialty and some regional government hospitals to assist patients.

Another P50 million will be allocated to the University of the Philippines (UP) and other state universities as tuition augmentation for cash-strapped students.

"So that no student may think of suicide for lack of funds to take an exam," said Sotto, apparently alluding to Kristel Tejada, a UP Manila student who killed herself allegedly over tuition woes.

Sotto will end his term as senator in 2016.

His decision to forego his PDAF comes in the wake of an alleged scam that funneled lawmakers' pork barrel to dubious non-government organizations and ghost projects.

President Benigno Aquino III's announced last month that the PDAF will be abolished, but was only criticized by various sectors and members of the public who claim that the pork barrel system will still remain.