MANILA, (PNA) — Vice President Jejomar Binay said, during a Senate budget hearing on Wednesday, that he is foregoing his office social services fund (SSF) worth P 200 million to “avoid speculation on the issue”.
Binay explained, through a statement read by his chief of staff, Usec. Benjamin Martinez Jr, that he decided this before the Congress and the Department of Budget and Management verified whether the fund can be considered pork barrel.
Martinez meanwhile said that following the foregoing of Binay’s SSF, the Congress and the President will be left to settle as to where and how to use the P200 million.
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget was approved by the Committee on Finance after the chief of staff announced that due to the removal of P 200 million, its original budget of P 417 million is cut to P 217 million.
Although Binay said that some of his projects will be affected by his decision, Martinez told reporters that it was a “sacrifice” for them but a call of the people and of the President Benigno Aquino III.
Finance Chair, Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero on the other hand, thought that the P 200 million SFF was an “unusual fund” what is stated in the special provision is that it should follow PDAF (priority development assistance funds) rules, regulations and menu.
The fund originally came from the unused pork barrel of then Sen Benigno Aquino III, which was integrated into his office’s locally funded budget in 2012 and 2013, the OVP stated.
While some solons from the House of Representatives earlier this week said that the P 200 million SSF is indeed considered as pork barrel because it saves the same purpose, the OVP thought otherwise.
“Our belief is this is really not PDAF because it is locally funded,” Martinez told reporters. “But to remove speculation, we took the cudgels in support of the President’s call to abolish pork.”