‘PDAF projects have documentation problems’

Kalinga Rep. Manuel Agyao: Documentation problems. Photo by www.congress.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines—Kalinga Rep. Manuel Agyao on Wednesday admitted that some projects financed with funds from his PDAF allocation have documentation problems.

Agyao said, however, that his pork funds were coursed through NGOs accredited by the Department of Agriculture.

“I will not deny that some projects funded through my PDAF are problematic. In fact, all of us [in the House] have problematic projects,” Agyao said.

The COA said Agyao coursed P11.5 million of his PDAF allocation through various NGOs.

“Many are not aware of the system that the NGO is the one implementing the projects under the PDAF. We the congressmen cannot spend our PDAF without coursing it through NGOs,” Agyao said.

He said he chose NGOs accredited by the agriculture department, believing that the money would go to the intended beneficiaries.—Kimberlie Quitasol