Former solon allegedly used pork barrel via DSWD to fund NGO project

MANILA, Philippines—A former congressman has allegedly used his “pork barrel” through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to fund a non-government organization’s (NGO) project, a move questioned by Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Lacson branded as “illegal technicality” the revelation of DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman that the agency’s budget of P9.229 million for the Early Computer Education for Day Care Learners program in 2009 went to the Community Resource Center (CRC).

“Hindi ba (Isn’t it) illegal technicality because the PDAF is supposed to fund government projects, not NGO projects. That’s how I understand [it],” said Lacson.

At the hearing of the Senate committee on finance, Soliman disclosed the project was not even a program of the DSWD and the budget was only coursed through the agency but went directly to the group.

“I think that’s not a DSWD program…That’s a program that was funded through a PDAF,” she said.

Soliman did not identify the lawmaker who funded the budget as well as the name of the NGO. However after the hearing a staff member of Soliman, who refused to be named, said it was a certain Congressman Sandoval and the NGO was the CRC.

The same staff said the NGO has already liquidated the fund and the COA was just asking for additional requirements.

“Because it was addressing day-care students, that’s why they coursed it through us,” Soliman explained.

“But I agree with you sir. I think the effort now is to make the menu more precise so that we will not have programs under PDAF. That’s not within the priority of the government and agency,” she said.

Lacson then asked the measures being done by the DWSD chief amid what he described as ‘horrible’ reports by the Commission on Audit during the past administration.

“There are COA reports, audit reports that are really horrible and I understand some of the people that you have now are the same people that implemented the program under the old system, not under your leadership,” said the senator.

Responding to this, Soliman said they have responded to some COA findings while they continue to do a review and audit of the 2009 budget.