With a heavy heart and much hesitation, I am voting against the ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the 2017 national budget.

I do so for various reasons, the most compelling of which is the continuing presence of pork barrel allocations in the 2017 general appropriations bill yet to be enrolled for the President’s approval.

Save for the P3.6 billion that still remains in the DPWH budget and divided among the 8 legislative districts of the ARMM, after we transferred the P8.3 billion to the SUCs, I need not provide the details of the other pork allocations.  Continue reading “Dissenting Vote Against the Ratification of the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the 2017 National Budget” →