Suarez blows whistle on House’s fund ‘parking’ scheme

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez has revealed how some lawmakers are engaged in the “parking” of their funds in another lawmaker’s district.

Suarez said a lawmaker has told him that a certain amount would be “parked” in the latter’s district.

“Ang nangyari dun ganito, I will not quote kung sinong congressman. Sinabihan siya, ‘o may darating dyan na P500 million sa distrito mo ha pero akin ‘yun… Parking ang tawag. I-paparking,” the lawmaker from Quezon province said in a press briefing on Wednesday.

But Suarez refused to name the lawmaker who would be “parking” the amount.

Suarez’s statement came in the wake of a clash between some House members over the P55 billion alleged “pork” inserted into the 2019 budget of some lawmakers.

READ: ‘Insertions,’ brewing conflict delay House plenary debates on 2019 budget | House leaders bicker over ‘pork’

But Suarez denied that the fund is “pork barrel” or the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) which had been declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013. “Pork” is the lump sum discretionary fund of lawmakers.

READ: Suarez denies ‘pork’ insertion in 2019 budget | Insertions in 2019 budget not ‘pork,’ not ‘irregular’ — Biazon

It was found out however on Tuesday that the P55 billion was actually P51,792,022, which was initially earmarked for various regional projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The House leadership has realigned the amount to other programs.  /muf

READ: Suddenly, House ‘committee of the whole’ tackles 2019 nat’l budget | House funnels P51.8B budget ‘insertion’ to health, agri, education

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