Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – As far as Malacañang is concerned, the “hidden pork barrel” issue has already been addressed.
Asked if they are worried that such accusations will be raised before the Office of the Ombudsman and the Supreme Court, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said, “On the substantive issue, Rep. (Isidro) Ungab has already explained and on the procedural issue, that is a matter the House needs to decide on.”
The Spokesperson also reiterated Palace’s earlier statement that it adheres to the Supreme Court ruling that declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) unconstitutional.
“Should he (ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio) raise with the Supreme Court, the court has already decided that legislators have no role during budget execution, for example, identifying projects after the budget is passed,” Lacierda said.
Tinio was among the petitioners who filed the fourth impeachment complaint against President Benigno Aquino III, only to be rejected by the House committee on justice because it was filed on the same day that the other impeachment complaints were officially received by the committee.
Nevertheless, Tinio said they will ask the Ombudsman to look into the Executive’s alleged connivance with lawmakers to circumvent the high court ruling.
According to Tinio’s complaint, the PDAF or pork barrel system continued “in ways that are hidden in plain sight.”
He said it was an open secret among agencies under Aquino’s watch.
Included in the complaint were audio recordings and transcripts of meetings discussing the said system.
Tinio said lawmakers were still able to access funds since each received allocations from the Department of Health (P10 million) and the Commission on Higher Education (14 million). The audio recordings and transcripts showed agency officials saying that those were funds of the congressmen and not of the agencies.
Ched chair Patricia Licuanan was quoted saying that they were merely pretending that there was no more PDAF and that the funds will still go to the lawmakers, for their scholarship programs.
But Ungab, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, said the accusations were not true. He said the PDAF was already deleted from the 2014 budget and that Congress merely allocated P4 billion for Ched’s scholarship program.
“This is also the same with the medical needs of patients in the field. We have to make sure that indigent patients are taken care of. P3 billion was provided for indigent patients thru DOH hospitals and specialty hospitals,” he said.
On the other hand, Lacierda also referred to the House’s possible actions against Tinio for recording and making public at least one executive session.
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