Estrada confronts COA chief at Senate budget hearing
Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada confronted and asked Commission on Audit (COA) chair Grace Pulido-Tan on Wednesday why they were being blamed for the transfer of their “pork barrel” funds to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs).
It was the COA which came out with findings that some legislators, including Estrada, had allegedly funnelled their priority development assistance fund (PDAF) known as “pork barrel” to fake NGOs identified with Janet Lim-Napoles.
During the budget hearing of the Senate committee on finance, Estrada particularly asked COA why the legislators were being blamed for the release funds to alleged bogus NGOs when he said the implementing agencies are the ones in-charge in the implementation of the projects.
“Anong kinalaman ng legislator dun? Di ba ang implementing agency ang nag i-implement? Pag nandoon na ang pera sa kanila, ano ang pakiaalam ng legislator dun?” asked the senator.
“Assuming we endorsed, we repeatedly endorsed this particular NGO, unang -una, kasi ang perception ng taumbayan ang mga senador ang humahawak ng pera…”
“Sa amin ba dumadaan ang pera? Yes or no?” the senator asked, pointing out that their job was only to identify projects.
Tan answered no to the question but explained that the actual handling of funds was different from managing it.
Quoting the implementing agencies though, the COA chief said the legislators also managed the funds.
Tan’s statements irked the senator.
“How can we manage the funds na hindi naman dumadaan sa amin ang pera…?” Estrada said, pointing out that the funds go through the Department of Budget and Management and then to the implementing agencies.
Estrada said they just happened to endorse their funds to an NGO, which turned out to be fake.
“Hindi naman namin alam na bogus…” he said.
Estrada then asked why the COA had not called the attention or stopped the lawmakers who had repeatedly endorsed their pork barrel funds bogus NGOs.
“Bakit kami ngayon ang sisihin?” he lamented.
Tan said she was still trying to find out why the Commission was not able to stop the transfer of funds to the said bogus NGOs.
