Abad: No pork deal in Corona verdict

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad on Friday denied charges aired by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago that pork barrel funds were released in exchange for votes to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona.

According to Abad, Santiago herself—who voted to acquit the Chief Justice—received P80 million in Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF), referred to as the legislators’ pork barrel, on May 31.

Of the two other “acquit” senators, only Sen. Joker Arroyo did not get a release because he did not file any fund request.  Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. got P15.28 million PDAF released.

The budget chief said Malacañang had already released more than P1.3 billion in senators’ pork barrel funds.

A senator is entitled every year to identify P200 million worth of projects to be funded by the PDAF.

“We categorically deny the allegations made by [Santiago] during a recent interview that the PDAF allocations of senators were released in exchange for votes to convict former Chief Justice Renato C. Corona,” Abad said in a statement.

“Our records—which are available online (https://reports.dbm.gov.ph/pdaf.php)—show that the DBM has already released PDAF allocations for projects of senators.

Sen. Pia Cayetano received the highest amount in pork barrel funds so far in 2012, with a total of P188.1 million.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile received a total of P104 million.

Other senators and their respective funds releases are as follows: Jinggoy Estrada P100 million May 17; Vicente Sotto III, P100 million, May 22;

Gregorio Honasan, P100 million, April 23; Lito Lapid, P100 million, May 8; Francis Escudero, P97 million (P1 million from 2011 and P96 million from 2012), May 8; Ramon Revilla, Jr., P86 million, May 7; Miriam Santiago, P 80million, May 31; Franklin Drilon, P72.6 million (all from 2011 PDAF), May 22; Aquilino Pimentel III, P59 million (all from 2011), March 20;

Alan Peter Cayetano, P57 million (all from 2011), Feb. 17; Manuel Villar, Jr., P50 million, May 18; Teofisto Guingona III, P37 million (all from 2011), March 7; Francis Pangilinan, P29.5 million (all from 2011), March 30; Edgardo Angara, P25 million, May 8; Loren Legarda, P10.6 million (all from 2011), May 11;

Antonio Trillanes IV, P10,018,510 (all from 2011), April 18; and Sergio Osmena III, P2.3 million (all from 2011), March 28.