Davide: Keep P72.8 M pork barrel in Capitol

Will the P72.8 million pork barrel of former Cebu congressman Pablo Garcia stay in the Capitol coffers?

Gov. Hilario Davide III said he prefers to keep it there for use of the 2nd district than return the amount to the national government as requested by Garcia.

Davide said residents of southern Cebu towns and cities in the 2nd district could still benefit from the pork barrel.

“I’m still studying it but it would probably be better if the funds remain here. Distribute it to the towns but that’s only my opinion,” he told reporters.

Garcia lost his reelection bid to represent the 2nd district in the May election.

The post is now occupied by Wilfredo Caminero of the Liberal Party.

Garcia in a June 25 letter requested his daughter, Gwendolyn, who was serving her last days as Cebu governor to return to Congress the remainder of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Each congressman is alloted P200 million worth of projects under the PDAF.

The elder Garcia complained that then acting Gov. Agnes Magpale didn’t disburse the funds despite several requests from his office.

At the time, Magpale, questioned why the bulk or P55 million would be released to only one town, Dumanjug, whose mayor is Garcia’s son Nelson. She said the money may be used for electioneering considering the timing of the requested release of trust funds during the campaign.

Garcia said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad already advised Magpale that he, as the proponent legislator, has the “authority to identify the beneficiaries and the priority development programs and projects to be charged against the PDAF.”

Garcia said Magpale still refused to release the money deposited under the Capitol as a trust fund.

“I hereby direct the immediate cancellation of the funding requests for disbursement and be returned by the province of Cebu to its source which is the House of Representatives through the Hon. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.,” the elder Garcia said.

Gwen had tried to release her father’s PDAF during her last days of office at the Capitol but was unable to move because the acting provincial treasurer Emmanuel Guial went on leave.

Gwen canceled the leaves of various Capitol department heads and replaced them with OICs but ran out of time to process the release.

Magpale monitored the release of checks and said she still had to review the SARO (Special Allotment Release Order) to trace the purpose of the funds.

She questioned the P55 million allocation to Dumanjug town of Mayor Nelson Garcia, the elder Garcia’s son while other towns in the second district received funding ranging from P20,000 to P500,000. /Peter L. Romanillos, Correspondent