Palace clarifies issues on alleged inclusion of pork barrel fund in 2016 budget

MALACANANG, Philippines – The Executive branch of government follows all the laws regarding the national budget, especially on the pork barrel fund, which has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, a Palace official said Thursday.
Asked whether President Benigno S. Aquino III would veto any attempt to revive the pork barrel in the 2016 budget, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the President issued a veto message in the 16th Congress with regards to the General Appropriations Act of 2015.
Quoting the President’s veto message on local government unit (LGU) shares, Secretary Coloma said, “The succeeding provisions on LGU shares are properly placed under conditional implementation to avoid conflict with existing laws and jurisprudential rules, and ensure their orderly execution.”
He noted that “Memorandum Circular No. 91-A dated November 28, 1993, which requires legislative consultation respecting the portion given to cities or municipalities in the congressional districts of a beneficiary province, will be supplanted by new guidelines by the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) to cover release of the subject LGU shares.”
“Maliwanag dito sa probisyon — sa aking inilahad na sinusunod ng pamahalaan ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema,” he said.
The public must understand that the Palace follows the decision of the Supreme Court, particularly the Belgica et al. vs. Ochoa et. al. case, he said, referring to the case where the Supreme Court (SC) made a ruling on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
After the SC declared the PDAF unconstitutional, the Executive branch removed it from the 2014 and 2015 budgets, Coloma said. “Kaya malinaw po na sinusunod ng pamahalaan ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema dahil tungkulin po ng ehekutibo na ipatupad ang mga batas ng bansa.”
On the SC petition of former Senator Panfilo Lacson on some provisions of the 2015 budget, Coloma said they would wait for the petition before responding to it.
“Aantabayanan namin ang ihahaing petisyon ni Senador Lacson para mabatid ang mga kongkretong batayan ng kanyang kritisismo. Kapag ipinag-utos ng korte, tungkulin ng pamahalaan na magbigay ng kaukulang katugunan,” he said.