PNoy suspends pork for lawmakers until scam investigation ends

The cookie jar is closed, for the time being.

President Aquino has suspended the release of so-called pork barrel funds as public anger has continued to snowball over reports of kickbacks to lawmakers, bogus beneficiary NGOs, and a an alleged long-running racket by a well-connected businesswoman to pillage public coffers.

The discretionary state funds allocated to lawmakers, also known as the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) intended for the poorest sectors, will not be released until an investigation of recent allegations is completed.

“Ang statement ni Secretary [of Department of Budget and Management Florencio] Abad, walang ni-release [na PDAF] for the second half,” said Aquino in an interview Monday with GMA News aired on the evening newscast 24 Oras. “Tapusin muna ang imbestigasyon and check kung meron pa ngang loopholes na dapat maisara.”



Aquino made the statement just after his cousin Bam Aquino, a neophyte senator, announced that he wasn't using his PDAF funds until charges were filed. These charges could be filed against his own colleagues in the Senate, several of whom were implicated in a scam allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles, a businesswoman who is now in hiding after a warrant was issued for her arrest.

Public outrage has spread on social media, and led to calls for a massive protest march on August 26, National Heroes Day, in the Luneta.

PNoy: Plug loopholes in PDAF

Aquino, however, has stopped short of calling for the abolition of the pork barrel as activists and some lawmakers have done. Instead, he is proposing that conditions for the release of pork be tightened and limited to lawmakers who have acceptable ratings according to certain performance indicators.

"Simpleng bagay lang: may paglalaanan? Ano ang resulta?” the President explained. “Yung budget releases nila (mga mambabtas) are based on their performance."

He added that there should also be a "time limit" on the implementation of the project funded thorugh the PDAF. If the funds are still unused within a certain amount of time, it would be returned to government savings.

"And savings will realign with those departments that are ready to utilize the said funds," Aquino said.

PNoy: Pork barrel does some good

In rejecting calls for its abolition, Aquino has argued that the pork barrel does some good. "Huwag naman madamay 'yung mahusay at matino 'dun sa taong mapagsamantala. 'Yang PDAF, lalo na sa hard aspect, nakakatulong matugon ng mas mabilis 'yung pangangailangan ng komunidad," he said.

The latest Commission on Audit report said 74 lawmakers, including incumbent congressmen currently aligned with President Aquino, received excessive amounts of pork barrel funds from 2007 to 2009.

The report also said some P6.156-billion pork barrel from close to 200 lawmakers went to 82 mostly dubious NGOs from 2007 to 2009, including 10 linked to businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

Faulty encoding

The President also clarified some points that the latest COA report raised and seemed to exonerate former Davao del Norte Rep. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, the latest lawmaker to be linked to misused pork.

According to COA, P3 billion worth of pork went to Zamora, a lawmaker known for cultivating earthworms for composting and regularly commuting to the Batasan Pambansa on his bike.

"'Yung P3 billion was allotted to one congressman. Ang sagot ni Sec. Abad, they checked kung tama. Pagkakatanda ko, parang nagkaroon ng maling encoding, dalawang SARO ang na-issue," Aquino explained.

"'Yung project naman na P3 billion for the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) for projects niya within the region, this was before our time."

In a separate "24 Oras" report, Zamora denied receiving the excess pork, saying he would be willing to go to jail if the allegations were true.

GMA News Online tried contacting Abad who has yet to respond.

Another point raised by the COA was the pork allocation to a virtually non-existent congressman named "Luis Abalos," who received a P20 million.

Aquino said that it was a typo in the first name of the congressman with the last name "Abalos."

"'Yung pangalan ng isang tao na hindi miyembro ng Kongreso, ang sabi sa atin, miyembro ng Kongreso, mali lang ang nilagay na first name," he said.

The COA report may be refering to former Mandaluyong City's lone district representative and now the city's mayor Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos Jr.

But according to the House of Representatives website, Abalos served as congressman from 2004 to 2007; the COA report covered only pork allocations from 2007 to 2009, a time when Abalos served as Mandaluyong city mayor. — DVM/HS, GMA News