House lawmakers rally vs Lacson
Credit to Author: GLEE JALEA| Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2019 16:53:57 +0000
The word war between the House of Representatives and the Senate over the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget continues, with congressmen jointly dismissing allegations by Sen. Panfilo
that they tweaked illegal insertions.
House Deputy Speaker for Finance Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. described Lacson’s claims as “hearsay,” and part of a “political hatchet job” meant to ruin the reputation of the lower chamber.
Over the past week, the senator has been alleging that congressmen will get P700 million each, while the 22 deputy speakers will get P1.5 billion each under the proposed measure.
“If it was a movie script, not only will it not sell; the plot from the start will not even qualify as a fantasy movie, not even as a comedy,” Villafuerte said in a statement Friday.
Villafuerte earlier denied Lacson’s claim that he was the one who thought of adding P1.5 billion to each of the 22 deputy speakers appointed by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano in the 18th Congress — the largest number of deputy speakers in the history of the Philippine Congress so far.
Anakalusugan Rep. Michael Defensor echoed Villafuerte’s sentiment, claiming that “rumor-mongering has no place in legislative work.”
“Peddling rumors is not the handiwork of esteemed senators. That job is reserved for fishwives,” Defensor said.
The House has approved in the plenary the 2020 General Appropriations Bill last September 20, two weeks before its self-imposed deadline. The money measure is now being printed and will be transmitted to the Senate on October 1.
“The House of Representatives worked double-time in examining the 2020 General Appropriations Bill to give the Senate ample time to scrutinize the fiscal program more thoroughly. The senators may raise their objections on the provisions of the bill when the bicameral conference committee convenes in late November or early December,” Defensor said.
Defensor also denied that each lawmaker would get as much as P700 million, and that the additional P1.5 billion allocation in the House’s P14-billion budget was intended for operations and salary of the Congress’ staff and employees.
‘Not a lobby letter’
Meanwhile, Capiz Rep. Fred Castro also reiterated that he was just requesting for financial assistance to fund a P258-million municipal hall project under his district, contrary to Lacson’s statement that he “lobbied” for aid.
“For sure there is a great distinction between a letter-request and ‘pork barrel’ lobbying,” the former House majority leader said.
Lacson earlier called on Castro to “take some memory enhancement pills” to recall the vetoed P95-billion budget insertions supposedly made by the House leaders of the 17th Congress.
The Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that the Priority Development Assistance Fund, or the pork barrel fund, is unconstitutional.
The House, led by Cayetano, had repeatedly reiterated that the proposed money measure for 2020 is free of any illegal insertions.