REPOST: Freedom from Debt Coalition's (FDC) Statement on the Return of Pork Barrel in the 2017 Budget

The original statement is here.

1 September 2016
NOT ANOTHER TRAPO BUDGET FOR 2017
MANILA, Philippines – While recognizing the need to ensure that the
 national budget prioritizes social development particularly the
 people’s welfare, the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) yesterday
 criticized the Duterte administration for using this as a convenient
 excuse to justify the P80-million allocation for pet projects of each
 legislator.
“The proposed 2017 national budget, with its provision for lawmakers
 to identify projects for budgetary funding, reeks of traditional or
‘trapo’ politics that perpetuate patronage relations between public
 officials and their constituents,” FDC Vice-President James Matthew
 Miraflor said.
Miraflor pointed out that the Supreme Court decision on the Priority
 Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the distinct and separate roles
 of the Executive and Legislative branches in the budget process are
 clear and should not be undermined by mere technicalities.
“The Duterte administration must stop in its attempt to further weaken
 the integrity of the budget process just to ensure the loyalty of its
 allies in Congress and maintain the ‘supermajority’ through political
 favors involving public funds,” Miraflor added.
Earlier, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno defended before the Senate
 the P80-million allocation for each solon saying that part of the job
 of the legislators is to “bring home some bacon” and that they would
 not be involved in the post-enactment implementation of the national
 budget.
“Instead of trying to go around Constitutional restrictions, members
 of the Development Budget Coordinating Council and backers of this
 repackaged PDAF should look into improving the budget formulation
 process. There must be something wrong with the government’s
 priorities and allocations if they still have to set aside a
 substantial portion of the budget and leave this to the discretion of
 members of Congress, otherwise, it’s pure and simple accommodation
to the whims and caprices of the trapos in our midst,” Miraflor said.

https://www.facebook.com/centerforpeoplesmedia/posts/1784340421850308:0