Lacson to House members defending their ‘pork’: ‘Patay kung patay!’

Sen. Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Despite being on the receiving end of a barrage of attacks for scrutinizing the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Saturday stood his ground, declaring he was “going all in” to completely eliminate the pork barrel funds.

Dep Spkr LRay Villafuerte, Party-list Rep Mike Defensor, and other House members can take turns in maligning me while defending their pork but I’m still going all in. Patay kung patay! The President’s P95B veto early this year is inspiring. It’s the people’s money after all.

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) September 27, 2019

In a tweet, Lacson said Saturday that Deputy House Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr., Party-list Representative Mike Defensor, and “other House members can take turns in maligning me while defending their pork but I’m still going all in.”

Lacson has bared that the House tried to allocate P1.5 billion in pork for each of Speaker Allan Peter Cayetano’s 22 deputies. The aborted plan would have also given P700 million worth of projects for all district representatives.

Defensor, an Anakalusugan party-list representative, asked for Lacson’s apology, and suggested that the budget of the Senate be re-aligned to those of district and party-list representatives.

READ: Defensor wants budget cut for Senate after Lacson’s pork allegations

Meanwhile, Villafuerte accused the senator of maligning the lower chamber to “make the Senate look good.”

Refusing to back down, Lacson told the House members: “Patay kung patay!”

“The President’s P95B veto early this year is inspiring,” the senator said, referring to President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to veto P95 billion from the 2019 national budget.

“It’s the people’s money after all,” he added.

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