`Pork' chops blamed for `slow' Congress

Tit for tat.

President Estrada said Friday congressmen have "an ax to grind" against him for scrapping their pork-barrel allocations and are allegedly hitting back by sitting on Palace-certified bills.

"They have an ax to grind because I scrapped their pork-barrel funds," the President admitted.

He was referring to the so-called Countrywide Development Funds of previous administrations and the congressional initiative allocations which he removed from the annual budget when he assumed office in June 1998.

Mr. Estrada conceded that the Senate and the House of Representatives, despite being dominated by the ruling Lapian ng Masang Pilipino (LAMP) party, have not been fully cooperative in ensuring the speedy passage into law of the administration's priority bills.

The President, however, expressed hope Congress will attend to these bills, particularly the priority economic measures under the two chambers' common legislative agenda, when it resumes regular session tomorrow.

Mr. Estrada disclosed that he will convene the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) more regularly from now on to speed up the enactment of the priority economic bills. The last time he convened the LEDAC was on Nov. 15.

But the President did not set a date for the first of these "more regular" LEDAC meetings.

The Chief Executive, however, gave assurance that projects in line with his priority programs and projects on food security will get funding support.

Congress has just ended its four-day special session last week, which was called by the President to pass the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P651-billion budget for the year 2000.

Before Congress adjourned for the Christmas holidays, it passed into law the controversial bill on the Liberalization of the Retail Trade Act and the extension of the lifespan of the Asset Privatization Trust (APT), the Public Employment Service Office and the Joint Resolution No. 1 for the continuing effectivity of the 1998 Appropriations Act on the unreleased budget provisions for maintenance and operating expenses.