Pork barrel is unconstitutional, Lacson reminds Arroyo

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should be reminded that pork barrel is unconstitutional, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Friday.

“Somebody please tell the Speaker that the [Supreme Court] has already declared pork barrel unconstitutional,” he said in a tweet.

Lacson was reacting to the announcement of Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. that, unlike ousted Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Arroyo would not give a zero budget to opposition lawmakers.

“Every district will have funds. That’s the clear order of Speaker GMA,” Andaya said.

“Bottomline is that the people should not be penalized for the stand taken by their representatives.”

Arroyo said all lawmakers would be given the budget as a “gesture of goodwill.” In 2013, the high court declared unconstitutional the lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), commonly known as pork barrel. —ANTHONY Q. ESGUERRA