Spokesperson: Palace checking reported increase in pork barrel

Malacañang is verifying reports of an increase in lawmakers' pork barrel allocations for 2011, a Palace spokesperson said Saturday. Presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte refused to comment on what she branded as speculation for the moment. “We are still trying to confirm this with (Public Works Secretary Rogelio) Singson. The Department of Public Works and Highways was mentioned... that allocation will come from that agency. We have not been able to reach Sec. Singson, he is in Japan," she said on government-run dzRB radio. She said the Palace wants to confirm the matter with Singson first before making any comment. “It is hard to speculate so allow us to verify the reports first so we will not be commenting on something speculative," she added. Newspaper reports on Saturday said members of Congress are due to get bigger pork barrel funds from the DPWH for 2011. This was supposedly in exchange for Congress looking the other way and not questioning the lump sum appropriations insisted on by Malacañang in the P1.64-trillion proposed 2011 budget. Other lawmakers will reportedly be getting P50 million for their districts’ projects from the DPWH’s budget. This is apart from their P70 million each in their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), the reports said. — GMANews.TV