Bongbong Marcos’ pork benefited Quezon town

Bongbong Marcos (Wikipedia photo)

MANILA – Following the Commission on Audit’s (COA’s) order asking the return of Sen. Bongbong Marcos’ pork, a Quezon Mayor maintained that his town benefited from the senator’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

“The project helped our farmers in improving their harvests, not only in one season but also in several that followed,” Mayor Leovegildo  Ruzol  of General Nakar town, Quezon province, was quoted saying in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report.

Ruzol was pertaining to the P10-million livelihood project which was channeled to the town through the Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. (SDPFFI).

He also added that the budget did not pass through the local treasury and went directly to SDPFFI.

The said foundation, however, was listed among the bogus organizations linked to the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind, Janet Lim-Napoles.

In an earlier report, the COA labeled the channeling of funds to the SDPFFI as “illegal and irregular,” questioning the foundation’s legality.

Senator Marcos, however, contested the argument in a statement to the Philippine Daily Inquirer saying that there are no basis for COA’s order, asking him to return the funds.

“Definitely, this is devoid of any factual and legal basis,” he said in a statement.

The senator also said he would appeal against the notice.