Former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines –Senators allegedly get at least an additional P100 million “pork barrel” allocation a year or up to more than P1 billion in the case of an unnamed lawmaker on top of their regular P200-million budget, former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said on Tuesday.
Lacson said the senator, whom he did not name, received more than P1-billion additional “pork” during the time of then President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
But the practice of giving senators an additional priority development assistance fund (PDAF) known as “pork barrel” continued even during the present administration of President Benigno Aquino III.
In fact, Lacson said, he was allotted an additional P100 million this year but he decided to forego it just like what he always did with his regular PDAF.
“Alam nyo naman ito’y hindi nyo nakikita, at hindi nakikita ng tax payers, taon-taon talagang may additional pork barrel na ibinibigay sa mga mambabatas. Ito’y on top of the regular P200 million,” the former senator said at a press conference in the Senate.
He said each senator was allocated a total of P300-million “pork barrel” funds every year although some managed to get an additional P300 million, P400 million or P500 million.
“Meron nga akong alam na senador in previous years, hanggang mahigit P1 billion nakakakuha sya ng additional,” said Lacson but he did not identify the senator.
This senator, he said, got the additional pork barrel during the Arroyo administration.
Asked again after the press conference when the senators started getting the additional pork allocations, Lacson said: “From GMA (Arroyo’s initial) hanggang huli, itong 2013 may additional P100 million.”
“Since time immemorial ’pag budget deliberations especially before the period of amendment dyan na talaga pumapasok lahat yung mga additional pork barrel allocations,” he said.
Lacson said the additional “pork” was spread out to the budget of different government agencies.
“Hindi mo makikita yun,” he said.
Asked if there was something irregular with the additional “pork,” the former senator said the word regular or irregular was relative, saying it would only become irregular if the money would be used for fake non-government organizations, for instance.