Senator’s staffer offered ‘parked pork’ to solon – Lacson

Sen. Panfilo Lacson INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — It was a staffer of a senator who allegedly offered portions of his “parked pork” to a congressman, Sen. Panfilo Lacson revealed on Friday.

Lacson earlier disclosed a new scheme where lawmakers supposedly earned “commissions” from parked “pork” in a legislative district of a “well-connected” member of the House of Representatives.

“Then he/she offers to share portions of that parked pork to other congressmen with very little or no pork allocations with the understanding that the choice of contractor remains with the former,” he said in a text message.

“So project lang sa district nila pakinabang nung congressmen who accept the offer, while the one who owns the pork gets the commission.”

“I know of one ‘cong’ who was offered but he declined since he has no control on the quality of (infrastructure) projects,” the senator said.

READ: Lacson: Solons earn commission from parking of port scheme

Lacson did not name the congressman, who was offered the “parked pork” as well as the person who made the offer.

But when pressed, he said, the offer was made to a “district representative” by a staff of a senator.

“Hindi party list but a district Rep yung tumanggi. Ang nag-offer, staff ng senator,” Lacson said.

(Not a party list but a district Rep refused the offer. The one who made the offer is a senator.)

“I just talked to the congressman who was offered. As expected, he doesn’t want to be named. Bottom line, we agreed that the truth about the “parked pork” be told,” he said.

Lacson expressed hopes that more lawmakers would come out and denounce “this scourge that refuses extinction in spite of the SC ruling, not to mention the numerous cases pending with the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan and other courts.”

In 2013, the Supreme Court declared lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or “pork barrel” as unconstitutional./ac

READ: SC declares PDAF unconstitutional