House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives is studying measures to realign the remaining Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) as a calamity fund after the Supreme Court (SC) declared it unconstitutional.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said Tuesday that the remaining PDAF, a euphemism for “pork barrel” funds, will now directly go to the national treasury.
Belmonte said the House would study legal measures to still be able to use the funds for the victims of super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name Haiyan).
Belmonte said they would look into filing a supplemental budget., adding that he still needs to have the copy of the SC decision to assess the grounds imposed by the highest court in declaring PDAF as unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone expressed his disappointment on the SC decision. Evardone said the news will greatly affect the “Yolanda victims” and said the SC should have delayed its decision amid the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the Visayas.
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