SC, Congress debate looms over ‘pork’ legality

Senate President Franklin Drilon. FILE PHOTO

MANILA,  Philippines –  Senate President Franklin Drilon said it was the Supreme Court’s “discretion” to decide on the legality of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) but another senator warned that Congress would  likely fight for its constitutionality.

“We will submit to the discretion of the court based on the allegations of the petition and the jurisprudence,”  Drilon told reporters  on Wednesday.

“It’s the Senate who actually decides and the House but in any case, we will just submit to the discretion of the court as to what to do with this. There are existing jurisprudence, allegation in the petition so we will just submit,” he said.

The high tribunal ordered Congress on Tuesday to comment within 10 days on the petition filed by the Social Justice Society, questioning the legality of the legislators’ PDAF,  which was said to be the source  of corruption in government.

But  Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who filed a resolution calling for the abolition of PDAF known as “pork barrel” funds, said Congress would “most likely”  insist on the Supreme Court’s previous decision affirming  the  legality of the funds.

“Congress will have to respond, probably and most likely fight to defend an earlier decision by the Supreme Court that it’s constitutional. But whatever the court’s ruling will be, Congress will decide separately on whether to abolish it [PDAF] or not,” Escudero said in a separate interview.

Besides, he said, the Senate has no official position yet whether or not to abolish the PDAF.

Asked if insisting on the legality of PDAF would run counter with  their position to scrap  it, Escudero said: “No, of course not. Because the problem is, if we don’t counter that, it’s like admitting that what we’ve been doing has been illegal. What we have to decide on is whether we will continue or not,” he said.

Aside from Escudero, Majority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano  also filed a concurrent resolution for the scrapping of PDAF.

The Senate though has yet to act on the separate measures.

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