‘Not with my pork’

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez. Photo from congress.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines—Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez on Friday denied giving P1.969 million of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for the purchase of 55 computers which cannot be accounted for.

“The story on the 762 alleged missing computers at the DOTC is false and malicious,” said Rodriguez, who was one of the nine lawmakers tagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) as having allocated their pork barrel to the DOTC program that donates computers to barangays, schools and municipalities.

“I have not given P1.969 million of my PDAF to the DOTC. In 2009, the DOTC offered to give computers to my district (second district of Cagayan de Oro City) from its own funds, which I accepted. After one year of following up with the DOTC, the 55 computers were delivered to my office, the receipt of which I properly acknowledged,” he said.