MANILA, Philippines—The House of Representatives opened its second regular session Monday, six hours before President Benigno Aquino III delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona).
The lower chamber resumed its session amid allegations that Congress’ pork barrel funds, meant to ease rural poverty, were spent on ghost projects for kickbacks with businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles as the alleged mastermind.
This is the first time the House of Representatives opened its session without their regular allocation of pork barrel funds or the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), which was struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional at the height of the scandal.
Photo by Hotaru Niitsu/INQUIRER.net
While three senators were charged with plunder over the scam, only former representatives were included in the plunder and graft complaint filed before the Ombudsman. But the charges have yet to be filed in the Sandiganbayan.
However, some 16 incumbent House members are included in the supposed Napoles’ list of lawmakers who allegedly benefited in the scam.
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