Only 5 Senators get 'pork'

MANILA, Philippines - Only five senators and one member of the House of Representatives have so far received their partial pork barrel allocations for 2012.

In its latest report on disbursements out of the annual P25-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it has released P100 million to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

The four other recipients of 2012 PDAF releases are Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, P50 million; Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, P50 million; Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, P53 million; and Sen. Gregorio Honasan, P57 million.

The other senators have either not requested for the release of their funds for this year or are availing themselves of the balance of their allocations for last year.

Only senators Joker Arroyo and Panfilo Lacson do not use their annual pork barrel funds.

PDAF is the official name of the congressional pork barrel, which dispenses P200 million a year for each senator and P70 million for each member of the House of Representatives.

Out of 285 House members, only Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino has received his 2012 partial allocation amounting to P20.5 million.

The combined releases to Santiago and her four colleagues, plus Antonino, amounted to P330.5 million, less than two percent of the P25-billion PDAF.

The DBM figures belie the allegations of lawyers of Chief Justice Renato Corona that Malacañang was dangling P200 million in additional pork barrel funds to senators to buy their votes for Corona’s conviction in his Senate impeachment trial.

Enrile, the trial’s presiding officer, and his colleagues denied the accusation. They have cited defense lawyer Jose Roy III in contempt of the impeachment court for making the allegation in a nationally televised news conference.

While only P330.5 million has been released out of this year’s pork barrel fund, the DBM continues to disburse balances from last year’s PDAF. Pork barrel funds are good for two years.

Senators who have availed themselves of their 2011 balances are Pia Cayetano, who has received releases amounting to P124.4 million; her brother Alan Peter, P57 million; Franklin Drilon, P32.5 million; Francis Escudero, P1 million; Teofisto Guingona III, P34.5 million; Loren Legarda, P2 million; Francis Pangilinan, P29.5 million; and Aquilino Pimentel III, P59 million.

In the House, more than 100 members, including those from the minority or opposition bloc, have asked for and have been given the remainder of their funds for last year.

They include Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., P20 million; Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, P20 million; and Sarangani Rep. Manuel Pacquiao, P31.6 million.

Pacquiao, a first-term congressman, has reportedly jumped from the ruling Liberal Party to the PDP-Laban of Vice President Jejomar Binay. He is now the third House member belonging to Binay’s party. Its two other members are the congresswomen representing Makati, one of whom is a daughter of Binay.

Opposition members who received additional releases included Arthur Yap of Bohol, P20.5 million; Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao, P1.6 million; and Martin Romualdez of Leyte, P1 million.

Yap was agriculture secretary of detained former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, while Datumanong served as her secretary of justice and secretary of public works and highways.

In all, additional releases from the 2011 PDAF amounted to P1.3 billion for House members and P342.2 million for senators.

Four colleagues of Mrs. Arroyo in the minority bloc continue to remain “pork-less.” They are her two sons - Juan Miguel of the party-list group Ang Galing Pinoy and Diosdado of Camarines Sur - and Mitos Magsaysay of Zambales and Augusto Syjuco Jr. of Iloilo. Another Arroyo - the late Ignacio or Iggy of Negros Occidental - did not receive his allocation.

Malacañang officials have said the funds of the five Arroyo allies have been released to local officials in their districts.