Aquino confident national budget passed on time

TAGBILARAN City, Philippines—President Aquino expressed confidence that the P1.8-trillion 2012 national budget would be passed on time even with the House minority staging a boycott of the budget deliberations.

“Why should we have any doubt that it will pass? It will stand on its merits,” the President told reporters here on Tuesday.

Aquino also denied that some House members had not received their district’s share in the priority development assistance fund, better known as the legislators’ pork barrel.

Aquino said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad could readily answer questions on congressional districts getting neglected in the distribution of the pork barrel funds.

“Our instructions are that no citizen of the republic would be deprived of their right wholesale,” Aquino said.

“So I don’t think the statement that some got zero is correct. All were given their share under the national budget,” the President added.