Lacson bares alleged attempt to raise senators’ ‘pork’ to P300M under Arroyo
Former Sen. Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson disclosed on Friday an alleged attempt by senators during the time of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to fatten their “pork barrel” funds by P300 million each, on top of the P200 million that was allotted to them every year.
“My 9-year old grandson, Thirdy would often ask me why I did not touch my pork when I was in the Senate. I told him why; and I will tell you why,” Lacson said when he spoke Thursday before the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa) in Makati City.
“The pork barrel system is ugly, more often than not, cruel, sometimes merciless towards the people we all swore to serve and protect when we took our oath of office,” said Lacson who also revealed the supposed “bribe” given to senators whp voted to impeach then Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Lacson’s twin exposes came following a Philippine Daily Inquirer report about Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged mastermind in the pork barrel scam.
“I learned of it with my own eyes and with my own ears. I’ve known about it first hand. I participated and objected to it in caucuses and during plenary debates on the senate floor, even in bicameral conferences,” Lacson said.
It was in 2006, he said, when an all senators’ caucus was called to decide on what to do with more than P38 billion in Special Purpose Funds, the disbursement of which was under the control of then President Arroyo.
Lacson said he went along with the suggestion during the caucus to slash a substantial portion of that fund.
“But that was only the good part. The ugly side, and I loudly objected to it was to, hold your breath, re-allocate the deducted amount to the pork barrel of legislators, 300 million pesos each in addition to the regular 200 million pork barrel of senators,” he said.
Without his knowledge, the former senator said, a second caucus on the same subject was held.
“One Thursday afternoon of the same year, while our small eating club composed of a few opposition politicians, businessmen, political analysts and advertising people, then Congresman Alan Peter Cayetano requested through former political adviser to President Erap (JosephEstrada) Lito Banayo that I allocate P50 million to Taguig out of our additional P200M from the realigned special purpose funds,” Lacson said.
“Apparently, Congressman Alan got wind of the information from his ate, Senator Pia Cayetano.”
Alan Peter Cayetano is now a senator and holding a high position in the Senate as Majority Leader.
From the P300 million initial proposal, Lacson said his colleagues allegedly agreed during their second caucus to reduce the additional pork to only P200 million.
Lacson said he then theatened to expose the additional pork and not stop interpellating on the Senate floor all the way to the period of amendments until the P4.6 billion in additional PDAF of 23 senators disappears from the proposed General Appropriations Act.
“A few more intervening events transpired afterwards, but to make the long story short, the P200M additional pork for each of the 23 senators did not materialize,” he said.
“Needless to say, I was the bad, kill-joy, corny kontrabida,” he added.
Lacson said he has a hundred more stories how legislators either collectively or individually managed to “fatten” their pork barrel allocations from the committee hearings to the period of amendments all the way to the bicameral conferences.
Each senator, he said, was supposed to get P200 million each every year and P70 million each for congressmen but some of them managed to get more than what was allocated to them.
“Just before the period of amendments of both chambers, small and big group caucuses decide how much each member would get as additional pork, usually at least P100 million more for senators,” he said.
“The second tranche of how much more should come just before the bicameral conference committee meetings, traditionally referred to as the third and most powerful chamber of Congress.”
The smarter ones, he said, managed to wrangle as early as during the committee hearings of the budgets of departments and agencies and likewise during plenary debates when questions are addressed by individual legislators to heads of the different agencies thru the budget sponsors.
“If you ask me how much, all I can tell you is that the monies are carefully parked in the budgets of some departments and agencies whose heads are willing co-conspirators in the schemes…, or scams,” he said.
“The amounts realigned or inserted range from a few hundred millions to even over a billion pesos for the smart, diligent and well-connected legislators of both houses,” he added.
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