MANILA, Philippines – Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday, February 5, called on President Rodrigo Duterte to veto all pork items in the proposed 2019 budget.

Addressing Duterte in a tweet, Lacson said the President could once again show his “strong political will” by removing the questionable funds in this year’s proposed appropriation.

“Mr President, you have displayed your strong political will on several occasions. This time, use your line-item veto power over the 2019 appropriations measure by removing all the pork inserted by lawmakers who are incorrigibly insatiable and simply beyond redemption,” Lacson said on Twitter.

The government has been operating under a reenacted budget since January 1, 2019, after Congress failed to pass the budget on time.

Senate and House deliberations on the proposed 2019 budget have been delayed following allegations that House lawmakers made multibillion-peso insertions in the budget bill.

Lacson earlier warned that the House-approved budget is riddled with pork for lawmakers.

In turn, the House questioned the Senate amendments to the budget amounting to P190 billion. which senators clarified were “institutional amendments” and not pork barrel.

On Instagram, Lacson said the public should expect their debts to increase to P71,000 because of pork barrel. The Freedom from Debt Coalition estimated the debt of each Filipino, owing to the country’s debt burden, at over P62,000 in 2016.

“Ngayong 2019, asahan ang paglobo ng ‘yong utang na aabot sa ₱71,000. Tandaan, hawak ng mga kongresista ang buwis nating pinaghirapan. Ibubulsa lamang nila (Expect your debt to balloon to P71,000 this 2019. Remember, congressmen are holding our hard-earned money. They will only pocket these funds),” Lacson said in his post. 

Senate finance committee chairperson Loren Legarda said the final bicameral conference committee will be on Wednesday, February 6. Congress is eyeing the ratification of the bicam report on Friday, February 8, the last day of the 17th Congress before it adjourns for the 2019 campaign and elections. – Rappler.com