Palace: No ‘pork’ in 2019 nat’l budget
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sun, 09 Dec 2018 12:15:03 +0000
Malacañang said Sunday that there is no hidden “pork barrel” fund in the proposed P3.575-trillion national budget for 2019.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the assurance after Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said that there are pork barrel funds in the national budget.
In a radio interview, Panelo, using the Supreme Court definition of the term as reference, said that there cannot be pork barrel funds in the proposed budget.
“Kasi ang pork barrel sabi ng Korte Suprema, ‘yun ‘yung lump sum na inaaprubahan pagkatapos saka lamang ituturo kung saan dadalhin. Pero this time, sinasabi nila there’s no such thing anymore kasi line item lahat,” he said.
“Kontra tayo sa depinisyon ng Korte Suprema na lump sum,” he added.
The pork barrel fund issue returned to prominence anew following the acquittal by the Sandiganbayan of former Sen. Bong Revilla of plunder in connection with the pork barrel fund or Priority Development Assistance Fund in 2013.
Panelo earlier assured that the administration has implemented measures to ensure that the people’s money is used properly.
“In any event, this administration takes stock of the lessons learned from cases involving unconstitutional discretionary funds and has implemented measures to ensure the integrity of the national budget and its proper utilization for our people,” he said.
Panelo said that there is no problem on the inclusion of Revilla in the senatorial slate of Hugpong ng Pagbabago, the political party founded by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“Inabswelto siya ng hukuman, paano mo masasabing magkakaroon ka ng problema?” he said. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)