By Janice M. Cave
MANILA, (PNA) — Malacanang on Friday agreed with the statement of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio that only Congress, not the President, can abolish the Priority Development Assistance Fund or “pork barrel.”
“Of course the SC justice is correct. The 2013 GAA [General Appropriations Act] is already a law. It is Congress that can amend or modify the law, not the President,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said at a media briefing.
She also clarified the government is asking the Supreme Court for the partial release of the PDAF allocated by lawmakers for medical and educational assistance to their constituents this year.
She said the request for temporary restraining order was in reference to the 2013 PDAF allocation, taking into consideration the concerns of lawmakers whose constituents rely on funding from pork barrel.
“Malinaw naman yung naging discussion nila ni Solgen kahapon… the request for partial lifting of TRO was only made in as far as… it’s not even for the remaining allocation of PDAF for 2013. Only those affected scholars and patients seeking medical assistance,” she said.
Due to public outrage on the alleged P10 billion pork barrel scam, Aquino suspended releases of lawmakers’ remaining pork barrel for 2013.
Prior to the Million People March calling for the scrapping of the PDAF, Aquino said it was time to abolish the PDAF for 2014.
“Legally, it [PDAF] is part of the [2013] GAA [General Appropriations Act]. The abolition relies on the repeal or non-inclusion in the next year’s GAA,” Valte said.
“It was a policy statement on the part of the president [when he announced the abolition of PDAF. The president recognizes that the power to amend, to modify, to repeal a particular law belongs to Congress,” she added.
Valte said the executive branch is working with Congress on the abolition of PDAF for 2014.
“That is the stand of the executive that’s why he said we will work with Congress moving forward to 2014,” she said.
The High Court is conducting oral arguments on the constitutionality of PDAF and is expected to decide on the matter in November.