THE PFIILIPPINE STAR

neurs TUESDAY I aUAUST 15, 2019

Zero cnrruption 0n'Porki Coyetnno asks colleagues

By JESS DIAZ time, we can make up for what w-e spectacle of the Senate and the
lost last year. If we sustain growth House quarrelling over billions
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano for L8 years, believe me, we will in alleged fund insertions in this
is askng members of the House see a ilifferent Philippines," he year's outlay.
of Representatives to avoid cor- sdid without explaining why his The congressional allocation
ruption in the use of pork bar- horizon for economic expansion for 2020 would still be P100 mil-
rel funds and other taxpayer's is L8 years, which is beyond the lion for wery House member and
money allocated to their districts six-year term of Duterte f200 million for each senator.
or constituencies. According to sources in the Of a congressman'$ allot-
"My message to you is that chamber, the proposed budget ment, P70 million is for "hard"
I will do as much as I can to would include at least P35.2 or infrastructure projects like
spread out the development billion in pork barrel funds multipurpose building6 and road
ahd auend to the .ot **" ol'the for 24 senators and 305 House conshrctioru while P30 million is
districts and party-list'groups. members. for "sof(' pnograms [ke medical
But we have to heed President The Deparhnent of Budget and educational assistance.
Duterte's appeal absolutely no and Management has asked Inthe case of a senator's P200
,cormption " he appealed as the lawmakers to submit their proi- million "por\" P100 million is
"House expects to receive the ect list in advance for inclusion for "hard" and P100 million for
President's budget proposal for in the budget to avoid last ;rear's "soft" projects.
2020 in one week.
He also told his
colleagues over
t[ ft+G,a*g'l
the weekend that:
"We made it verv
clear at the start thdt '
there are things we
can give and take
but there are lines
we have to draw.
When it comes to
comrption, the line
is drawn: no party
affiliation"no friend-
ship, we will not
protect each other."
The Sneaker also
vowed tb have the
House approve the
proposed P4.l-tril-
lion national budget
far 2020 "on time"
beforetheendof the
year to sustain the
counbry's economic
g;rowth.
'"We had sixyears
of good grornrth dur-
ing the Aquino ad-
minisbationandfour
years under Presi-
dtlntDuterte.Soifwe
pass the budget on