Binay’s office not giving up P200-M ‘pork’ for 2014

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay’s office won’t let go of his P200-million pork barrel fund for next year.

During yesterday’s House of Representatives appropriations committee hearing on Binay’s P417-million 2014 budget, his chief of staff Benjamin Martinez Jr. was grilled on his principal’s “pork.”

Alliance of Concerned Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio asked Martinez whether the Vice President would treat his P200-million allocation “as PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) or not PDAF.”

PDAF is the official name of the congressional pork barrel. It allocates P200 million for each senator and P70 million for each House member.

Tracing the history of the P200-million allocation, Martinez said Binay is actually the country’s first vice president who was given such fund.

“In 2011, this was the unspent PDAF balance of President Aquino. However, starting in 2012, this amount has been integrated into our regular annual budget as an appropriation for locally funded projects,” he said.

“Does this mean that Binay does not consider the amount as PDAF?” Tinio asked.

“It is part of our regular budget,” Martinez reiterated. He said Binay is using the fund to put up P500,000 worth of buildings for senior citizens and for medical, disaster relief and educational assistance.

Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice said he does not believe that building shelters for senior citizens and extending medical, educational and disaster relief assistance should be part of the Vice President’s job.

He said Binay has P85 million for “subsidies and donations” on top of his P200-million pork.

Erice said the Vice President’s office treats its P200-million fund as a PDAF allocation as evidence by the briefing material it submitted to the appropriations committee.

For his part, Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, appropriations committee chairman, read the provisions of the 2013 budget law on Binay’s P200-million fund.

Ungab said under the law, such fund would be for the “priority programs and projects identified by the Vice President.”

“Not more than 50 percent of it shall be for what lawmakers call ‘soft’ projects like medical and educational assistance, and not more than 50 percent for ‘hard’ or infrastructure projects. The P200 million is subject to the same conditions, limitations and requirements as the PDAF,” he said.

“Clearly, the P200-million fund is in the nature of a PDAF allocation. Besides, it originated from the PDAF,” he stressed.

Ungab pointed out that it is the consensus of House members “to do away with the PDAF.”

Martinez said it is the prerogative of the House to scrap Binay’s fund.

“We will respect your decision on this matter. But we insist that it’s no longer PDAF as it is already part of our regular budget,” he said.

During the hearing, Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian urged Binay’s office to strengthen its campaign against human trafficking.