Solons will still enjoy P25-B ‘pork’

Photo by Robert Viñas / PCOO

MANILA — Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down the Priority Development Assistance Func (PDAF), senators will still be enjoying their pork in next year’s budget.

Senators will still be given an annual fund of P200 million each while P70 million will still be given to House representatives.

A total of P4.8 billion will be given to the senate while P21 billion will be given to the 289 members of the House. All in all, the lawmakers’ funds will be costing P25.03 billion of the budget next year.

The lawmakers were asked by their respective leaders to submit a list of infrastructure projects, medical, educational and financial assistance beneficiaries to be included in the budget for 2015.

In addition to this, their implementing agencies were limited to the six agencies which were chosen in the realignment of at least P21 billion worth of PDAF this year.

The realignment followed after the SC’s decision declaring the unconstitutionality of the lawmakers’ pork.

Also included in the SC’s ruling is a provision prohibiting the lawmakers from having any role in the implementation of the budget after their approval, except the exercise of their oversight power.

Despite this, the ruling does not include a provision which prohibits them from proposing projects and including them in the budget.