Lawmaker claims 47 party-list reps will get P50M each for road projects

The 47 party-list representatives will also be getting P50 million each for road projects next year, party-list lawmaker Angelo Palmones said. However, House leaders and some party-list representatives denied this. Palmones, who is representing the Alyansa ng mga Grupo ng Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan (AGHAM) party-list, said Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson assured lawmakers in a meeting with at least 25 party-list representatives at the Mitra Building of the House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon. "Sec. Singson assured us that even party-list lawmakers are entitled to the national project worth P50 million," said Palmones. Those present at Wednesday’s meeting agreed that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will identify the priority areas for the implementation of lawmakers’ road improvement projects, he added. Earlier, Singson assured the chamber that all district representatives are entitled to P50 million worth of road projects on top of their regular P70-million priority development assistance fund (PDAF), more popularly known as pork barrel. Palmones said that of the P50 million, P35 million will come from the DPWH, while the remaining P15 million will be sourced from the Road Board, an attached agency of the DPWH. According to him, some party-list representatives immediately sent a “thank you" letter to Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. for supporting their request all the way. “Upon consultation with Hon. Rogelio Singson, he assured us that there will be available funds to accommodate our requests and that the matrix in the national budget and arterial roads shall be ready for our purpose," the letter read. No such promise Contrary to Palmones’ claim, Deputy Speaker Janette Garin and House appropriations committee chairman Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya told GMANews.TV in a text message "there is no such promise from Singson." Garin said she talked with Singson Wednesday night to ask him about the supposed promise of P50 million. "There seems to be a miscommunication. He [Singson] was referring to congressional districts with existing national roads." Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) Rep. Sherwin Tugna, Democratic Independent Workers’ Association (DIWA) Rep. Emmeline Aglipay and Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño also denied the supposed additional pork barrel. "This is false. On top of their regular PDAF, party-list groups WILL NOT receive anything from the DPWH. This is utterly false," Tugna said in a text message. Casiño said he is not aware of the promise and the meeting with Singson. “Out of the loop na ako after last week." — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV