Solon hits COA chair for ‘beating up Congress’ over ‘pork’ scam

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab - 10 years ago

Former DOJ secretary and now 1-BAP Representative Silvestre Bello III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A former Justice Secretary-turned-lawmaker scored Commission on Audit (COA) chair Grace Pulido Tan for supposedly destroying the reputation of Congress when she asked lawmakers to return billions of pork barrel funds irregularly disbursed from 2007 to 2009.

1 Bap Representative Silvestre Bello III, in a committee hearing in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, said Congress is already “badly beaten up” because of the investigation on the alleged scam involving billions of Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF).

“Bugbog sarado na ang Kongreso. Dadagdagan niyo pa ng suntok, baka knock-out na kami,” Bello told Tan, who was present in the hearing.

(The Congress is already beaten badly. And you still go out for a punch, we might be knocked out.)

Bello was referring to Tan’s statement in a report that the COA would compel lawmakers to return at least P4.961 billion in PDAF irregularly disbursed to nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in 2007-2009, and that COA has already asked some lawmakers to return P1.83 billion in PDAF.

Bello added that this “rigmarole… has destroyed the bulwark of democracy.”

“You should bring this to court (not) to the media,” Bello said.

For her part, Tan confirmed her statement that they have asked lawmakers to return the irregularly disbursed PDAF from 2007 to 2009.

In a Philippine Daily Inquirer report, Tan said her office issued 19 notices of disallowance to the seven lawmakers early this year, belying the claim of Greco Belgica Jr. and three others who claimed that the COA had not done so.

Belgica et al. petitioned the Supreme Court on Friday to compel Tan and COA Director Susana Garcia to issue notices of disallowance to those responsible for channeling P6.2 billion in PDAF to NGOs.

A special audit of the COA, released in August last year, said funds totaling P6.2 billion were transferred to 82 NGOs “in clear violation of the law” from 2007 to 2009.