DAR execs grilled for serving as pork ‘clearing house’

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) officials found themselves in the hot seat after the agency was allegedly used as a “clearing house” for the release of some P475 million worth of pork barrel funding by President Aquino.

During plenary budget deliberations on Wednesday, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares confronted the officials and demanded that they reveal the “sources of this fund,” including its “proponents.”

DAR officials, through Rep. Henry Teves, promised to do just that and admitted that the agency “did not need” the allocation.

“I agree with the sentiments, and I agree with the proposal of my distinguished colleague that definitely, if all budgets are appropriated by this House, then we could properly monitor them in the future,” Teves replied.

“If that was a mistake that we made, then let’s not do it again.”

Six tranches

In confronting DAR officials, Colmenares produced copies of special allotment release orders (Saro) covering six tranches of the fund release to the department.

The Inquirer earlier reported that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) had issued the amount to the DAR in 2011 as lump sum allocations of six senators for livelihood projects in local government units.

But the DAR later kept its hands off the allocation, purportedly mindful of the alleged misuse of P900 million in Malampaya Fund coursed to the department two years earlier.

DAR officials, through Teves, admitted that they opted not to touch the P475-million budget because they had their own fund for livelihood projects. “They still had money of their own,” he said.

Later in a statement, Teves said the DBM release to DAR in 2011 showed the “concrete danger of having the President control enormous lump sums because he can disburse so much money that is not even requested by an agency.”

“This practice is a healthy breeding ground for corruption and is a huge waste of taxpayer money. Pork is also misuse of public funds because, as in this example, it allocated huge funds to an agency which did not even need it,” he said.

Even if the DAR decided not to use the additional allocation, he said, “we are not sure if Malacañang just coursed this money through other departments.”

“The evil of the pork barrel system is as clear as day and this should be stopped now before more funds of the people are usurped by unscrupulous politicians,” Teves said.