The Aquino administration’s decision to release the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or “pork barrel” of opposition lawmakers to lower-ranked officials instead of releasing it to the legislators is unethical, the House Minority bloc said Wednesday.
House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez of Quezon disclosed that Budget Secretary Florencio Abad has released the PDAF of Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo of Ang Galing Pinoy Party-list to the local officials of the 2nd District of Pampanga which he used to represent, while the PDAF of Rep. Augusto Syjuco of Iloilo has been handed over to the mayors of the province.

“This may not be illegal but this [action] is depriving the right of the congressman to assist their constituents through that fund. It is unethical considering that you are transgressing the authority of the person to disburse the fund and how they would like it to be disbursed,” Suarez told in a press conference.

Each lawmaker is entitled to a P70 million PDAF annually. Of this amount, P40 is allotted for infrastructure projects, while P30 million is for soft projects such as scholarships and medical assistance.

Securing PDAF, Suarez argued, is a right of every lawmaker since it is given to each representative so that they could use such fund to assist their constituents in addition to the national government’s providence.

“If the national government wishes to implement a certain project but it does not have enough resources, the Representatives, thru PDAF, can fill that gap. That’s the purpose of PDAF. What they are doing is that they are releasing it to each municipality. If that’s the case, then they are violating the right of the congressman to properly identify his priority projects,” Suarez added.

Of the 29 members of the Minority bloc, only four have yet to receive their PDAF since President Benigno Aquino 3rd assumed office in June 30, 2010. These are Reps. Mitos Magsaysay of Zambales, Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo of Camarines Sur, Mikey Arroyo and Syjuco.

Party-list Rep. Arroyo who represents the security guards in the House, Suarez cited, is in a quandary since he cannot use his PDAF to fund hospitals and provide financial assistance and scholarships to the families of security guards who were killed in the line of duty.

“He can’t do anything because of what’s happening,” Suarez said in closing.