MoNDAY / SEPTEMBER 23, 2019
\ n /W.INQUIRER.NET "
House leaden No room for vetoed pork in budget
By DJ Yap
EdJElyqplNq_
Lawmakers hoping to raise their
"pork" allocations will no longer
get a chance to reinsert some P/o
billion to P9o billion worth of ve-
toed public works funds in the
newly passed zozo spending bill,
a House leader said on Sunday.
"It's impossible to restore
lhe vetoed items," the lawmak-
er, who asked not to be identi-
of
fied because ofthe sensitivity
lhe matter, told the Inquirer,
citing lack of funding sources.
Some 68 disgruntled House
members had been pushing for
dle restoration of their share of
P95.3 billion worth of projects
Ltrcy "inserted" in the 2019 bud-
get tliat was later vetoed by Pres-
ident Duterte for not being in line
with administration priorities.
The requests to restore the
vetoed funds in t}le zozo pro-
posal nearly derailed budget
hearings in August, prompting
the withdrawal of the P4.1-tdl-
lion general appropriations bill
(GAB) until the House leader-
ship put its foot down.
Approved on 3rd reading
The House approved the
GAB on second and third read-
ing last Friday, but gave itself a
window of time uhtil this week
to receive individual and insti-
tutional amendments before
transmitting the measure to the
Senate for its concurrence.
The two chambers will meet
in conferencd to reconcile dif-
ferences in each of their ver,
sions once the Senate passes its
own bill.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo No-
grales on Friday said Mr.
Duterte would exercise his veto
Karlo Nograles
powers to remove any uncon-
stitutional or pork insertions in
the proposed P4.l-trillion na-
tional budget for 2o2o.
Nograles made the assur-
ance following r€ports that each
congressman may get Ploo mil-
lion for infrastructure and so-
cial assistance projects.
Pork, a source of kickbacks,
" voAqe
' on the ploposals.
Allan Peter Cayetano
refersto all forms of discre-
tionary and lump-sum items
given to lawmakers og officials
to fund their pet projects.
Also on Friday, SpeakerAlan
Peter Cayetano asked the 3oo
House members to submit their
proposed changes by Monday
to a small group led by House
appropriations panel chair
-45"
lsidro Ungab, who was tasked proposed amendment.
with collecting and deliberating Ungab earlier disclosed tha
several lawmakers. had wishe(
"With open ears and open to make insetions to the bil
mind, we will accept and look at amounting to between P7o bil
each and every amendment with lion and P9o billion worth o:
consensus," he told the body. Public works projects, whicl
cayetano said one podsible had either been slashed durinl
amendment involved the aug- preparation or vetoed from th(
mentation of a fund,to help lo- current P3.6-trillion budget.
cal rice farmers affected by the On Aug. 28, the GAB wa.{
rice import liberalization. withdrawn from Ungab's pare
on a motion by Deputy Speaker
Insertions Luis Ra].'rnund Villafuerte Jr. whc
"There seems to be a con- argued that the House bill coulc
sensus that we should add to deviate from the national erpen.
the P7-billion fund to buy patay diture program (NEP) since it war
(unhusked dce) to help our "the job of the House to allocatG
farmers... Ungab has alreadli . or amend budgetary items."
found P3 biltion to add to Plo Ungab protested the with-
billion but we would like to go drawal ofthe measure, but after
higher than Plo billion," the a meeting with House leaders
Taguig lawmaker said. the GAB was refiled, untouched
On Sunday, Ungab said his -wrx a nepoRT FRoM JUirE M. au
group would pore over each REro INQ