(NI BERNARD TAGUINOD)

MISTULANG nasaktan ang liderato ng Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso sa alegasyon na mayroon pa ring pork barrel sa niratipikahang 2020 national budget na nagkakahalaga ng P4.1 Trillion.

“Attempts to label the 2020 budget pork-ridden by constantly redefining ‘pork’ is unfair and misleading,” pahayag ni House appropriation committee chair Isidro Ungab.

May hinala si Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson na ang  P83 Billion ang halaga flood control funds sa 2020 national ay pork barrel dahil hindi nakadetalye kung saan ito gagamitin.

“In compliance with the express instructions of the President, the 2020 GAB contains no pork, no last-minute insertions and no parked funds. The budget process was undertaken with utmost transparency,” ani Ungab.

Inamin ng mambabatas na nagkaroon ng pagbabago sa orihinal na General Appropriations Bill (GAB) subalit nakalinya ito sa prayoridad ng Pangulo at base na rin sa rekomendasyon ng mga Cabinet departments at government agencies.

“Both houses ratified the budget bill. The representatives of both the Senate and House agreed on the amendments to, and  final version of, the 2020 GAB at  the bicameral conference committee,” banggit pa ni Ungab.

“The Supreme Court has already declared pork barrel funds as unconstitutional and clearly deflned what constitutes pork. The 2020 budget is pork-free,” dagdag pa nito.