MOOD SWINGS. Stiff formality. Breaking the ice. Hearty laugh.
At the anti-crime forum in Mabalacat last week, the gamut of emotions ran through impending rivals for the First District congressional seat in 2013 – sitting Rep. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin and outgoing Vice Gov. Yeng Guiao.
Photos by Bong Z. Lacson
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The chairman of ex-Pres. Arroyo’s Lakas-Kampi party in the vote-rich first district of Pampanga junked yesterday reports that the Aquino govern-ment is in a carrot-and-stick mode in the release of pork barrel funds to make oppositionists toe the administration line.
This, following recent reports of congressmen jumping the Lakas-Kampi party allegedly in exchange for the release of their pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
“All of us (in Congress) are in the same boat when it comes to the release of our PDAF,” said Rep. Carmelo Lazatin, chairman of the Lakas-Kampi party in the first district comprising Angeles City, Mabalacat, and Magalang.
“The government just wants the fulfillment of requirements to make sure the funds go where they should,” he said, noting such requirements as details on specific projects to be covered by PDAF.
Lazatin, however, admitted that some leaders of the administration’s Liberal Party (LP) are able to better lobby for earlier release of their PDAF “because they can easily follow up the releases.”
“Otherwise, I don’t think that PDAF is being used as a carrot-and-stick policy,” he said.
The controversy on PDAF releases was boosted recently when this province’s 3rd district Rep. Aurelio Gonzalez, known to be a close confidant of former Pres. Arroyo during her term, abandoned the Lakas-Kampi to join the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).
In his message apologizing to Mrs. Arroyo for this, Gonzalez said that “to remain where I was would have compromised the future of many, including perhaps my own political future.”
Despite the implications of his statement, Gonzalez denied that the early release of the first tranche of his PDAF was premised on his junking Mrs. Arroyo’s party.
“My PDAF was released even before I joined the NPC,” he told Punto while adding that “I did this in the interest of my constituents, especially the poor.”
Earlier, Gonzalez was reported to have been problematic on where to get some P40 million immediately needed by his scholars in his district.
Gonzalez’s move also triggered criticisms from Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, who had been Malacanang’s external affairs secretary and, at least for 18 months, president of the North Luzon Railways Corp. during the Arroyo administration.
He virtually accused Gonzalez of being traitor to his former benefactor, Mrs. Arroyo.
But Lazatin said the Aquino administration does not seem to be using PDAF releases to pressure oppositionists on pending legislations.
The administration is pushing for the full approval of the total of P39 billion for its conditional cash transfer (CCT) program for 2012, a move being opposed by some sectors who want the fund to be channeled to the education sector instead.
Lazatin said that he himself has already partially received the first tranche of his PDAF, including P3.8 million for “soft” projects as scholarships and medicines for his constituents, and the total of P20 million for infrastructure and other “hard” projects.
“It was only last Friday that we were given the signal to submit the requirements for the second tranche of release of our PDAF,” he noted.
Each member of the house is entitled to some P70 million worth of PDAF annually.
Lazatin said he talked recently with Budget Sec. Florencio Aba who, he noted, assured him of ready release of funds as soon as all requirements are also submitted.
