Lacson says congressmen protesting budget cuts have pork in mind

Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said the congressmen protesting the budget cuts for their infrastructure projects were “addicted to money.”

Lacson questioned the congressmen’s about-face, saying they only recently passed a budget reform bill to limit appropriations to one year, similar to the cash-based budgeting system that the Department of Budget and Management wanted to implement starting next year.

He said the congressmen opposed cash-based budgeting to protest cuts in appropriations for infrastructure projects in their districts, which he compared to pork.

“They need massive detox and full rehab so they can lick the more dangerous addiction [to] money. ‘Tokhang’ may be good after all,” Lacson tweeted, referring to the deadly police operations against illegal drugs.

The congressmen rejected cash-based budgeting and suspended hearings on Malacañang’s P3.76-trillion proposed budget for 2019 to give the executive time to make “necessary changes.”

Malacañang refused.

On Tuesday, the Senate took the side of the executive and announced it would proceed to hear President Duterte’s budget proposal.