‘Pork’ release stops House coup

In a bid to head off any attempt to reorganize the House of Representatives, Speaker Jose de Venecia announced yesterday that budget managers are set to release over the next two weeks some P15 billion to congressmen grumbling about their pork barrel funds.

In a joint memorandum with House appropriations committee chairman Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. (Lakas-CMD, Camarines Sur), De Venecia said half of the lawmakers’ pork barrel allocation for this year will be made available son.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said half of the congressmen’s P14-billion pork barrel funds are already available for use.

Aside from the 2003 pork barrel funds, De Venecia said President Arroyo and Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin have assured the full payment of projects the congressmen implemented under the 2002 budget.

Of the P15 billion, P4 billion was released late last month to settle the payables of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the 2002 budget.

Another P4 billion is scheduled for release this week to settle P1.6 billion in current accounts and the remaining DPWH payables up to May 2003.

De Venecia and Andaya issued the memorandum amid persistent rumors that disgruntled congressmen are conspiring to oust De Venecia for failing to have their pork barrel funds released.

The announcement of the availability of the pork barrel funds also came five days before the opening of the third and last session of the 12th Congress on Monday.

But De Venecia’s allies countered that the Speaker is not the one to blame for the delay in the release of their pork barrel funds.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House committee on accounts, branded the coup rumors as "speculative" and "first class political intrigue" aimed at dividing the ruling coalition in the chamber.

"They should stop blaming the Speaker for the failure of the DBM to release the pork barrel fund on schedule," Barbers said in a statement.

But Liberal Party president, Batanes Rep. Florencio Abad confirmed that "something serious is going on" and urged De Venecia to head off anything "embarrassing" that might happen when Congress reopens on July 28.

The LP president is the head of an 18-man bloc in the House that is part of the multiparty "Sunshine Coalition," which elected De Venecia to the speakership.

The pro-administration "Sunshine Coalition" is comprised of Lakas, NPC, LP, Nacionalista Party, Aksyon Demokratiko, Reporma and the Probinsya Muna Development Initiative.

But Tarlac Rep. Gilberto Teodoro, nephew of Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) chairman Eduardo Cojuangco, dismissed the possibility of a change in the House leadership.

The NPC is the second biggest party in the coalition, with 62 congressman in its roster. De Venecia’s Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats has 80 congressmen.

Congressmen are supposedly complaining about the delayed release of infrastructure funds for their districts, favoritism, and the apparent political squeeze on Cojuangco by the Arroyo administration.

There are at least 50 Lakas-CMD congressmen who support Cojuangco and the NPC could have a new speaker elected if they can muster enough votes.

Among those reportedly being considered to be Speaker are House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II and Palawan Rep. Vicente Sandoval, who heads the House contingent to the Commission on Appointments.