DBM releases P6.4-B ‘pork’

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released a total of P6.4 billion in pork barrel funds to senators and congressmen.

As of last Friday, members of the House of Representatives have received P5.8 billion in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) money, while P658 million has been made available to senators.

Of the amount released to the House, P4.4 billion went to district representatives, while those representing party-list groups shared P1.3 billion.

Those who have received their PDAF allocations included senatorial candidates of the Team PNoy coalition. None of those belonging to the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) has received his or her pork barrel allocation.

House sources said the PDAF release requests of UNA candidates are still being processed.

It is not clear, however, if some funds have been made available to Vice President Jejomar Binay, who, upon his request, had been given by Congress an annual pork barrel fund of P200 million.

Additionally, Binay has more than P80 million for “subsidies and donations” in the budget for the Office of the Vice President.

The DBM website does not reflect pork barrel fund releases to Binay, one of UNA’s “three kings.”

Team PNoy candidates who have received their funds are re-electionist Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, P7.3 million; Francis Escudero, P33.8 million; Loren Legarda, P89.5 million; and Aquilino Pimentel III, P160.8 million; and Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, P15.4 million.

Of these funds, Legarda’s P89.5 million and P30 million of Escudero’s P33.8 million were sourced from the current budget, while the other releases represented backlog from last year’s PDAF allocations.

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

Other senators who have received PDAF money are Pia Cayetano, P5.1 million; Franklin Drilon, P41 million; Jinggoy Estrada, P42.5 million; Juan Ponce Enrile, P5 million; Teofisto Guingona III, P5 million; Lito Lapid, P16 million; Ferdinand Marcos Jr., P51 million; Sergio Osmeña III, P72.5 million; Francis Pangilinan, P5 million; Ralph Recto, P20 million; Vicente Sotto III, P94 million; and Manuel Villar Jr., P10 million.

Senators Joker Arroyo and Panfilo Lacson do not avail themselves of their P200-million annual PDAF allocations.

In the House, among members identified with Binay’s UNA, only Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco has received P3.3 million in PDAF money.

Joseph Victor Ejercito of San Juan and Juan Ponce Enrile Jr. of Cagayan, who are part of the UNA senatorial ticket, have not received any PDAF release.

Another UNA candidate, Mitos Magsaysay of Zambales, who is closely associated with former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has remained “pork-less” since 2011.

As for Arroyo, she has received P10.3 million out of her P70 million this year.

Party-list groups which have been given PDAF money included those disqualified by the Commission on Elections but which have won a reprieve from the Supreme Court, where their cases are still pending.

Among them are Ako Bicol, which has received P75 million; Alliance for Democracy and Nationalism, P35 million; Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives, P35 million; and 1st Consumers’ Alliance for Rural Energy, P55 million.