No pork for Arroyo allies, says Abad

Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad Jr. on Wednesday said he would continue to withhold congressional pork barrel allocations from close allies and kin of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“These are political realities we have to consider,” said Abad when asked to explain why the administration continues to deprive some House representatives of pork barrel allocations, especially with elections coming next year.

But Abad clarified that this did not mean that their districts would not get direct allocations from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). “The President’s instruction was ‘don’t deny the districts,’” he added.

At least four minority members—Zambales Representative Milagros Magsaysay, Camarines Sur Representative Diosdado Macapagal Arroyo, Iloilo Representative Augusto Syjuco Jr. and Ang Galing Pinoy Representative Juan Miguel Arroyo—did not get a single peso from their P70 million annual pork barrel in the last two years.

These House members  will continue to get zero allocations in the 2013 budget, Abad admitted.

But  while these representatives might not receive their pork barrel, their districts will continue to get access to their share of the budget through the DPWH.