There are no funds in the proposed 2019 budget that could be considered “pork” or those that could go to pet projects of certain government officials, Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said Thursday. Nograles, the chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, made this assurance during the Meet Inquirer Multimedia forum as Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier revealed that billions of pesos in funds are considered “pork” in the proposed 2019 national budget. “So, no way in any way can we put PDAF here in the budget,” he said. He, however, admitted that certain lump sums exist in the proposed 2019 budget, but those are only for calamity funds. The House of Representatives is set to begin its plenary debates on the proposed 2019 national budget on September 17.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 13, 2018 06:34 UTC