Sen. Serge Osmeña III. NOY MORCOSO III/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
Some “goodies” might help get some senators’ support for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), Senator Sergio Osmeña III said on Tuesday.
This was one of the reasons Osmeña was not inclined to take President Benigno Aquino’s offer to discuss with senators their reservations about the BBL.
READ: Aquino open to dialogue with senators on BBL
“No need. What will I do there? Baka sabihin ninyo nakatanggap ng pork barrel si Senator Osmeña,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“I will be naughty ha. If there are some goodies it might help win a couple senators,” he said.
The senator then pointed to what happened in the impeachment trial of former Justice Chief Renato Corona where senators who voted to impeach him were accused of receiving additional Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Asked what else goodies could be dangled with senators when there is no longer “pork barrel” funds, Osmeña said: “Meron pork! I already told you guys, there’s pork.”
“You have to define what’s pork. Pork are projects that are not originally in the President’s budget, as submitted to Congress and known as the NEP (National Expenditures Program). Eto po ay sina-submit ng President to both houses right after the SONA (state of the nation address) early August.”
“And then when the House passes it, because the House has to pass it before the Senate because it’s a revenue bill, then it becomes known as the General Appropriations bill, that when the Senate passes it, it becomes law, it becomes General Appropriations Act. So that’s it,” he further explained.
Osmeña said that before, the “pork barrel” funds referred to the lawmakers’ priority development assistance funds.
“You set aside a certain sum for congressmen and senators and that sum is up to the senators and congressmen to decide as to its application. The application of funds, o gumawa ka nyan, pagawa ka ng farm to market roads…Now wala sa budget, blanko, basta P25 billion ang PDAF,” he said, explaining what “pork” is.
“Ngayon, identified na. Nandun. Nasa budget, I told you guys, last year pa meron,” said the senator added.
Congress leaders said they already scrapped PDAF after it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013. AC
READ: SC declares PDAF unconstitutional
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