Malacañang Exec: No Pork in Proposed 2016 Budget

(PNA) — A Palace executive on Monday maintained that there are no pork barrel allocations under the proposed Php 3.002 trillion 2016 national budget.

In a statement, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said appropriate budget allocation and usage remain among the priorities of the Aquino administration.

“The Aquino administration is firmly committed to open, transparent and accountable governance, especially in terms of judicious allocation and proper disbursement of public funds,” he said.

Coloma’s statement was in response to allegations by BayanMuna Representative Neri Javier Colmenares who said that about Php 145 billion in the proposed budget for next year was “pork barrel.”

He specifically cited that about Php 97.4 billion in lump sum fund from the Special Purpose Fund (SPF) and about Php 50 billion in various departments were inserted as “pork”.

He said the amount may even become bigger as budget deliberations, which started Monday, continues.

Earlier, Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad said they had included lump sum funds in next year’s proposed national budget but they have specific purposes for this like contingency funds for calamities among others. (PNA) RMA/JS/SSC