Lacson: Duterte veto saved P19B in ‘pork commissions’

Senator Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE

MANILA, Philippines – The country saved over P19 billion in tax money when President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the P95 billion in the 2019 national budget, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday.

Lacson commended President Rodrigo Duterte (PRRD) for exercising his veto power on P95-billion worth of projects that were not among the priorities of the administration.

READ: Duterte signs 2019 national budget; vetoes P95.3B

“If there is one act of PRRD that is worthy of admiration, this veto message is on top of my list. With his guts, glory comes to the Filipino taxpayers,” Lacson said in a Twitter post.

“Simple math tells us this: Php 95.3B x 20 percent (pork commission) equals Php 19.06B savings from our hard earned tax money,” he added.

If there is one act of PRRD that is worthy of admiration, this veto message is on top of my list. With his guts, glory comes to the Filipino taxpayers. Simple math tells us this: Php 95.3B x 20% (pork commission) equals Php 19.06B savings from our hard earned tax money.

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) April 15, 2019

The senator earlier claimed that some legislators get “commissions” from “pork barrel” lodged in a legislative district of a “well-connected congressman.

He also alleged that a 20-percent commission per project from the P75 billion “pork” was already peddled to contractors even before Congress approved the 2019 budget.

READ: Lacson: Kickbacks from P75B ‘pork’ peddled to contractors

READ: Lacson: Solons earn ‘commissions’ from ‘parking of pork’ scheme

Malacañang said the President vetoed items of appropriations in some of the projects and programs of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) “which are not within the programmed priorities.”

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III confirmed the signing of the national budget. He also said that the President vetoed the “recommended” P75 billion “unconstitutional realignments” and P20 billion more.

When Sotto signed the enrolled copy of the bill on March 26, he affixed his signature with “strong reservations,” asking the President to consider vetoing the P75-billion worth of unconstitutional realignments.” /cbb

READ: Sotto signs 2019 national budget with strong reservations