Budget given straight to congressional districts is ‘pork’ – Lacson

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson: “If it looks like pork, sounds like pork, and smells like pork, then it must be pork.” (PRIB Photo by Cesar Tomambo/ 11 January 2018)

Senator Panfilo Lacson insisted Thursday that any allocation given directly to congressional districts or congressmen is “pork.”

Several congressmen quickly denied Lacson’s earlier warning of the possible return of the “happy pork barrel days” of legislators following Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s assurance that all lawmakers would receive congressional allocations.

READ: Lacson fears return of ‘happy pork days’ under Arroyo

“Nothing could be clearer than what their Speaker announced: No congressman will have zero budget for his/her district, meaning, they will make insertions here and there, thus mangling the NEP. Isn’t that pork?” Lacson said in a text message on Thursday.

Aside from the possible resurgence of “pork barrel,” the senator also warned of “massive mangling” of the National Expenditure Program or NEP.

To further emphasize his point, Lacson cited the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) in 2013, declaring legislators’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF)“pork barrel” unconstitutional. ,

“To quote a portion of the Nov 2013 SC ruling, ‘All informal practices of similar import and effect, which the Court similarly deems to be acts of grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of discretion’, are also declared void,” he noted.

“’Di ba dapat, walang probinsya at bayan na mawawalan ng budget. Bakit district? Eh ‘di pang congressmen nga. Eh ‘di pork,” Lacson stressed.

“Further, if it looks like pork, sounds like pork, and smells like pork, then it must be pork,” he added.

Several congressmen denied Lacson’s allegation, including House Deputy Minority Leader and Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza.

“I hope Sen. Lacson was just misquoted, otherwise I would advise him to look around the Senate because there are many out there who benefited from their ‘pork’ through Napoles who are still around and even running for re-election,” Atienza said.

READ: Atienza chides Lacson for warning against possible return of ‘pork barrel’

It was businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, who allegedly masterminded the so-called pork barrel scam.  /kga