Senators have more than P8-billion pork — lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines — The majority leader of the House of Representatives yesterday turned the tables on senators on the pork barrel issue, saying the latter have allocated for themselves more than P8 billion in such funds.

“Maybe, it’s fair that they reveal how much they inserted in the budget and where did they put the money. They presented their requests (to the Department of Budget and Management) before the budget was transmitted to Congress,” Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. told a news conference.

He said all senators, except Panfilo Lacson, submitted funding proposals for projects to the DBM.

“In the case of Senator Lacson, he was not interested ever since,” he said.

When asked how much senators allocated for themselves, Andaya said the amount is bigger than the P8-billion single biggest allotment for a congressional district in the proposed P3.757-trillion 2019 outlay. He refused to identify the district.

When asked to name senators who had requested for project funds from Malacañang before President Duterte sent his budget proposal to Congress in July, he said he could only mention Sen. Loren Legarda, who chairs the Senate finance committee.

He noted that Legarda has admitted in budget debates with Lacson at the Senate that she has allocated funds for Antique, where she is seeking a congressional seat. A disqualification case has been filed against her for alleged lack of residency.

“I would rather that they say who asked for funds and where they allotted the money. As neighbors, it’s not for us to say. It’s not our style. If they say they don’t know, I will point it to them in the budget,” Andaya, who was budget secretary during the Arroyo administration, said.

He also clarified that his district and the second district of Pampanga, which Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo represents, did not receive the biggest infrastructure fund allocations.

“The Speaker ranks 100th in terms of such allocations. There are 99 House members who have bigger allotments for their districts. I am in 186th place. I have the smallest allocation among Camarines Sur congressmen,” he said.

He refused to name the 99 members who have bigger funding than Arroyo.

Lacson has said the House had increased infrastructure funds for the Speaker’s district from less than P800 million to P2.2 billion and for Andaya’s constituency from P360 million to P1.9 billion.