Senator Panfilo Lacson has criticized Senator Loren Legarda for challenging his claim that there is still pork barrel in the proposed P3.767-trillion national budget for 2018.
“She should be honest to herself and to the Fil taxpayers by at least not commenting,” Lacson said.
Legarda, chairman of the Senate finance committee, earlier asked Lacson to detail where the ‘pork’ is in next year’s national capital outlay.
“How can it be hearsay when she was the one who announced in the caucus before the period of amendments: ‘You should submit now your list for your P300 million worth of projects,’” Lacson said.
“So, what does it mean? She should not comment that it’s hearsay because it would appear that what I said was just a rumor,” he added.
Lacson advised Legarda to wait until the Lower House transmits their version of the 2018 budget bill.
“I will point out to her what she refuses to see, just like the P8.3 billion and other lump sum appropriations in the 2017 budget,” he said. “In fact, we all agreed to realign the P8.3 billion to free tuition. Has she forgotten that?”
Legarda said she does not know what Lacson was referring to as ‘pork’ in the proposed budget.
“If he is referring to the budget of every district of every congressman, there is a budget for every district because our country is divided into congressional districts. So what do you do to infrastructure projects in provinces and districts?” she said.
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno has maintained there are no pork barrel allocations in the proposed national budget for 2018.