Legarda: I’ve given up my ‘pork’ for 2014

Senator Loren Legarda. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Loren Legarda said she has long given up her “pork barrel” funds for 2014.

Legarda, in a text message on Friday, said she wrote a letter last month informing the Senate that she would no longer avail of her P200 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or “pork barrel” funds next year.

“I wrote that a month ago and I informed Senate President (Franklin Drilon) months ago,” she said when asked if it was true that she also had written the Senate committee on finance about her decision not to avail her “pork.”

The senators were given until November 11 to submit their recommendation on how they would like to utilize their PDAF after they failed to reach a consensus in a caucus late last month.

At present, Escudero said, eight senators, including himself and Drilon have taken positions about their PDAF.

He did not identify the six other senators but in separate statements, Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Grace Poe said they will no longer get their PDAF.

Instead, both Poe and Pimentel asked the committee to just deduct their PDAF allocation from the proposed  2014 national budget.