MANILA, (PNA) — Will the 2014 Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) be scrapped for next year? The Senate cannot say for sure.
The Senate on Wednesday finished its lengthy caucus regarding the abolition of PDAF not being able to settle on a general consensus.
Another caucus will be held on Nov. 18 to once and for all determine if the Senate will still be having the members’ PDAF for 2014 or not.
With the abolition of PDAF still uncertain, Senate President Franklin Drilon meanwhile asked senators to write manifestations to the Senate Committee on Finance led by Sen. Francis Escudero.
But Drilon said most of his fellow senators were in favor of the abolition of PDAF although there were a few others who wanted it realigned to calamity funds.
Some senators were also absent, making Drilon decide to have them each submit individual position papers.
The Senate last Tuesday passed a resolution which urges the President to use the savings (senator’s abandoned PDAF) to augment the calamity fund.
Only P1.37 billion of the P7.5 billion calamity fund remains, according to the Office of the President, while P3.18 billion remains in the unreleased 2013 PDAF for senators indicated in the Dept. of Budget and Management.