Lawmakers get P19.5 billion in pork barrel funds in 2011

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate received more than P19 billion in pork barrel funds for projects in their districts in 2011.

A report by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed that a total of P19,535,540,873 had been released to lawmakers in the form of priority development assistance fund (PDAF), which has become a euphemism for pork barrel allocations. 

Of the total allocation, P17,785,595,921 went to the House of Representatives; of which P14.6 billion was released to district representatives and P3.2 billion to party-list representatives. Senators got P1,749,944,952.        

House members are entitled to an annual PDAF allocation of P70 million each, while senators get P200 million each.

Among senators, there were no data in the DBM report for the release of funds to Joker Arroyo, Panfilo Lacson, Sergio Osmeña III, resigned senator Juan Miguel Zubiri as well as Aquilino Pimentel III, who has taken Zubiri’s place.

This indicates that they have not availed of their funds for 2011. Arroyo and Lacson had been waiving their annual allocations since they were elected to the Senate 10 years ago.        

PDAF recipients in the House include members of the opposition, among them former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.        

During the former president’s term, she withheld the district funds of her political opponents, including President Aquino, then the representative of Tarlac.        

The DBM report shows that Rep. Arroyo received a total of P21.8 million, the bulk of which (P20 million) was allocated for road projects in her district and the construction of multi-purpose buildings costing between P500,000 and P2 million.        

Of the remaining P1.8 million, she gave away P850,000 as financial assistance to indigent constituents of Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez and P100,000 to Mindoro Occidental Rep. Amelita Villarosa.      

The two lawmakers were among her favorite companions in her trips abroad during her nine-year presidency.       

Though they were beneficiaries of augmentations from Mrs. Arroyo, Suarez and Villarosa received bigger amounts in PDAF releases than the former president.

Suarez received P55 million and Villarosa P67.1 million. Some P40 million of Villarosa’s allocation went to infrastructure projects costing from P500,000 to P10 million.        

Minority Leader Edcel Lagman received the full allocation of P70 million, as well as Imelda Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte and Pastor Alcover Jr. of the party-list group Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy.

Alcover allocated P20 million of his funds to a river clearing project in Albay and another P20 million for a road project in Quezon. He allocated P15 million as financial assistance to San Vicente town in Ilocos Sur, P10 million to Bantay town in the same province, and P5 million to Villaviciosa town in Abra.

Alcover was criticized by his colleagues for claiming President Aquino gifted the 188 House members who signed the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona with P1 million each.      

He was asked to prove his claim or face ouster.        

The other Arroyo allies who have received their funds are Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao, P66.9 million; Fatima Aliah Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte, P50 million; Erico Aumentado of Bohol, P44.2 million; Arthur Yap also of Bohol, P43.2 million; and Rodolfo Albano Jr. of Isabela, P55 million.    

Among House leaders, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has received P35 million, while Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II received P55 million.        

Two deputy speakers – Pablo Garcia of Cebu and Jesus Crispin Remulla of Cavite – received P55 million each. They did not sign the impeachment complaint against Corona.        

Rodolfo Biazon of Muntinlupa and Hermilando Mandanas of Batangas received P55 million each. They, too, did not support Corona’s impeachment.        

Toby Tiangco of Navotas, another lawmaker who did not sign the complaint, received the full allocation of P70 million.        

Jose Benaldo of Cagayan de Oro City, who said he feared losing his pork barrel if he did not affix his signature to the complaint against Corona, received P69.8 million.         

Several Arroyo allies are yet to receive their funds. These include her sons - Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo and Camarines 2nd district Rep. Diosdado Arroyo. Also, her brother-in-law Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo, Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr., and Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay.