Makati returns P54.7M in unused pork barrel funds

By: Niña P. Calleja - 10 years ago

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The city government of Makati has remitted to the Bureau of Treasury a total of P54.7 million in unused money from the Priority Development Assistance Fund which had been coursed through the local government.

In a statement on Tuesday, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay said the move was in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling dated November 19, 2013 declaring PDAF, also known as congressional pork barrel, as unconstitutional.

“The city government of Makati decided to remit the unutilized PDAF in compliance with the decision of our Supreme Court. Makati is, after all, just the custodian of the fund. The legislators are the ones who decide where they want to use their PDAF,” Binay said.

Based on the list submitted by the city treasurer to the national treasury, the unutilized PDAF came from the Office of the Vice President, former and current legislators, namely, Senator Edgardo Angara, former Senator Teresa Aquino-Oreta, former Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Emeline Aglipay, Agapito Aquino, Arlene Bag-ao, Mar-Len Abigail Binay, Laarni Cayetano, Neri Javier Colmenares, Zenaida de Castro, Emerenciana de Jesus, Cinchona Gonzales, Monique Yazmin Lagdameo, Teodoro Locsin, Jr., Loreta Ann Rosales, Mark Aeron Sambar, Patricia Serenas, Mariano Michael Velarde, Renee Velarde, and Joel Villanueva.

The Bureau of Treasury issued official receipt dated June 13, 2014 to the city government of Makati for its check remittance amounting to P54,758,593.76 in unutilized PDAF allocations.

Joey Salgado, the spokesperson of the city government of Makati, said most of unutilized PDAF was coursed through the city government even before the 2010 elections and during the term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“Most of these were not used due to the lack of memorandum of understanding between the legislators, the implementing agency, and the beneficiaries. In the absence of that and the other documentary requirements, the city government could not disburse the funds,” Salgado said over the phone.

Some pork barrel funds, on the other hand, were no longer utilized as the Supreme Court had already ruled the use of PDAF as unconstitutional, Salgado said.