(NI BERNARD TAGUINOD)

HINDI lang sinopla kundi binakbakan pa sa plenaryo ng Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso si Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson matapos akusahan na mayroong pork barrel ang 2020 national budget na ipinasa ng mga kongresista.

Sa kanyang privilege speech nitong Miyerkoles, hindi pinaglagpas ni Capiz Rep. Fred Castro ang panibagong alegasyon ni Lacson gayong hindi pa umano nababasa ng senador ang kahit isang pahina ng General Appropriation Bill (GAB).

Ayon kay Castro, nagsakripisyo nang husto ang mga kongresista sa pagpapatibay sa national budget  “…(but) here comes the recless, irresponsible and imprudent accusation of o misguided member (of congress)…” ani Castro.

Ginawa ng mambabatas ang pahayag matapos akusahan ni Lacson ang Kamara na tinangkang bigyan ng tig-P1.5 Billion ang 22 deputy speakers at P700 million ang bawat mambabatas.

“There is no truth to this pork barrel. Everybody knows that there is no truth to this and any allegation of pork barrel as inserted in the General Appropriations bill is nothing but a concoction or imaginary, if not fictionalized,” ani Castro.

HUMINGI KA NG APOLOGY KA– SOLONS KAY LACSON

Dahil dito, sinabi ni Castro na kailangang humingi ng apology si Lacson sa mga kongresista dahil sinisiraan umano nito ang imahe ng bawat mambabatas at maging ang institusyon.

“And in order to confirm that indeed he is a soldier, Sen Lacson could be sensible enough to realize what he has done and what he has damaged this institution by extending an apology, a sincere apology to this institution and to all members of this House of Representatives,” ani Castro.

“I still respect Senator Lacson but that respect does not mean that he is exonerated from his responsibility,” ayon pa kay Castro na sinegundahan naman ni House minority leader Bievenido Abante sa kanyang iterpelasyon na dapat humingi o mag-isyu ng apology si Lacson sa Kamara.

“Senator Lacson should issue an apology to this House,” ani Abante.

Itinangi naman ni House deputy speaker Luis Raymond Villafuerte na siya ang source ni Lacson sa pork barrel issue sa  2020 national buget na nagkakahalaga ng P4.1 Trillion.

“I fully supported his crusade against pork in the past and continue to support him now and in the future . I however would like to emphasize and firmly deny the claim that it was my idea to add P1.5b to each deputy speaker as completely baseless and fictional,” ani Villafuerte.

Isa umano sa mga dahilan kung bakit fictional ang alegasyon ni Lacson ay ang total pork barrel na binabanggit nito na umaabot lamang sa P54 Billion gayung kung totoo ang alegasyon na nito tig-P1.5 Billion ang ibinigay sa bawat deputy speaker at tig-P700 million naman sa bawat kongresista, ay aabot ito ng P210 Billion.

“The claim and math completely out of this world . How can you even try to add that amount and even think sen Ping , the executive branch and even the public will not find out,”ayon pa kay Villafuerte.