Salceda: Each congressman will receive P100M in 2020 budget

MANILA, Philippines — Albay Rep. Joey Salceda revealed Wednesday that each lawmaker at the House of Representatives would receive P100 million in the proposed P4.1 trillion national budget for 2020.

Salceda told reporters in Malacañang that P70 million would be for infrastructure projects while P30 million would be for soft projects such as medical assistance.

“It’s itemized. What I know is, to ensure that everybody has some minimum, P100 [million], yes,” he said.

“But that’s basically 70 million of infrastructure and they were itemized in the NEP (National Expenditure Program) and there is no such thing as non-itemized expenditure there,” he added.

He said lawmakers send their funding proposal to the Executive branch, which prepares the budget.

“We propose for inclusion. We propose for the inclusion,” he said.

“Kasi ganito ‘yan. Paano naman ‘yong isang congressman na kailangan po ng isang health center, let’s say sa isang barangay diyan sa Quezon City? How do you think it will be funded? So do you consider that pork? Do you? I mean do we?” he added.

Salceda, who is the House ways and committee chair, assured the public that the 2020 national budget is pork-free.

“Theoretically if you use the Supreme Court, there is no pork [in the proposed 2020 national budget],” he said.

“It is pork-free based on Supreme Court standards,” he added. /je