Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said yesterday that he is going all in on his efforts to completely eliminate “pork barrel” funds.
“I am going all in. Patay kung patay,” Lacson said in a tweet following criticisms from congressmen for scrutinizing alleged insertion of pork barrel appropriations in the House-approved P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020.
“Deputy Speaker LRay Villafuerte, party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, and other House members can take turns in maligning me while defending their pork but I’m still going all in. Patay kung patay!” he said.
“The President’s P95-billion veto early this year (on the current 2019 national budget) is inspiring. It’s the people’s money after all,’’ he added.
Operations of the national government were negatively affected by the months-long squabble between the Senate and the House of Representatives over the P55-billion pork barrel funds inserted in the House-approved budget version.
President Duterte broke the impasse by siding with the Senate and vetoed the P95-billion pork barrel insertion.
Asked days ago whether or not he approves of initiatives by some senators led by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri for a ceasefire on the pork barrel controversy, Lacson said he favors such a move but this does not stop him from snooping for pork barrel appropriations in the House-approved budget.
The Senate may receive anytime this week a copy of the proposed 2020 budget earlier approved by the House of Representatives.
“First of all, ceasefire or not, I cannot stop exposing any form of abuse involving the national budget,’’ he stressed. (Mario Casayuran)