Headline Cayetano admits P9.52-B budget realignment, dismisses ‘pork’ allegations as pure gossip MediaTitle Bulletin(www.mb.com.ph) Date 30 Sep 2019 Section NEWS Order Rank 1 Language English Journalist N/A Frequency Daily Cayetano admits P9.52-B budget realignment, dismisses ‘pork’ allegations as pure Speaker on Monday revealed that the House of Representatives has introduced some P9.52 billion in institutional amendments to the proposed 2020 national budget but made it clear that the chamber will not respond to criticisms based on “tsismis” or gossip.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano (Alan Peter Cayetano / Facebook page/ MANILA BULLETIN)

In an apparent taunt clearly directed at Senator Panfilo Lacson, Cayetano declared that the 2020 General Appropriations Bill passed by the Lower House is bereft of any pork-barrel insertions, unlike what the senator has been airing in public.

“We respect his advocacy, but hindi niya yata matanggap na ang House na ito ay anti-pork (He can’t seem to accept that this chamber is anti-pork),” said Cayetano.

Lacson has insisted that the budget measure passed by the Lower House contained insertions that would grant each congressman over P100 million in illegal pork barrel funds. He added that 22 deputy speakers were to be granted P1.5 billion each next year.

Cayetano and other House leaders said there are just no bases to support Lacson’s contention.

The House leader said he is will to sit down with a Filipino who claims that congressional fund insertions are included in the P4.1-trillion national budget that congressmen approved two weeks ago and will now transmit to the Senate.

“I am addressing the Filipino people. There are 105 million Filipinos who can criticize. But I won’t respond to tsismis (rumors),” Cayetano stated.

The Lower House was expected to transmit today to the Senate its version of the P4.1-trillion national budget that reflected nearly the national expenditure program that the Duterte administration proposed, except for the P9.52 billion institutional amendment.

In a press conference, Cayetano said the realigned P9.52 billion “is more of a symbolic change,” saying the remainder of the budget proposals remained “untouched.” The allocation will be withdrawn from budget proposals of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Commission on Elections.

Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez also said the Lower House welcomes a close scrutiny of the approved budget.

“Ang mga batikos, masyadong premature (The criticisms were premature). Ping’s advocacy against pork is shared by everybody here,” Romualdez stated.

Meanwhile, the House leadership said the biggest recipient of institutional realignment is the Department of Agriculture which will get additional P3.5 billion. Cayetano disclosed that P3 billion of the amount will augment the palay purchase program while P500 million will be reserved as quick response fund for unforeseen problems that threaten food security.

The Department of Education will get additional P800 million for the operation of schools from kindergarten to Grade 12 and model daycare centers, divided into P650 million and P150million, respectively.

A total P200 million will go to the Department of Health to finance programs of the National Center for Mental Health and for quick response meant for unpredicted outbreaks and other public health threats.

The University of the -Philippine General Hospital will also get an additional P200 million.

The Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines budgets will be augmented with P1 billion each as camp development fund.

Meanwhile, congressmen agreed to increase by P500 million each the budget for the Natural Resources Conservation and Development of Protected Areas and the Sitio Electrification program.

Also getting additional allocation is the Davao International Airport with P274.95 million for operating expenses and the Metro Manila Development Authority with P500 million.

The MMDA adjustment will be spent as a special allowance for traffic enforcers and field personnel, P200 million; and salary increase for 4,000 job order personnel, P300 million.