Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Thursday renewed his call to abolish the “Leadership Fund” or allocables from the national budget, branding it not merely as another form of pork barrel, but a worse version of the outlawed system.
Lacson said the testimony of former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan, as well as recent developments on anomalous flood control projects, highlighted how the “Leadership Fund” gave legislators an opportunity to make budget insertions even during the preparation phase of the national budget.
“The Leadership Fund aka ‘allocables’ is a worse version of the outlawed pork barrel system. It added another layer that provided legislators opportunity to make budget insertions even during the Preparation Phase of the national budget, or before the National Expenditure Program (NEP) is transmitted to the Congress for deliberations by both chamber, where further insertions could still be introduced,” said Lacson, who has consistently rejected pork barrel in all its forms.
“With all that said, I maintain that such anomaly in the passage of the national budget must stop,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson Muling Nanawagan na Buwagin ang ‘Leadership Fund’ sa Pambansang Badyet
Continue reading “Lacson Renews Call to Abolish ‘Leadership Fund’ in National Budget”
