Cayetano siblings biggest 'pork' spenders

MANILA, Philippines - Amid the brouhaha over the supposed cash gifts given by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to majority senators, senators have also used up most, if not all of the P200-million Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) allocated to each of them for 2012.

 

Siblings Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano used up their pork barrel and even went beyond the P200-million ceiling after they spent P 256,700,000 and P277,006,092, respectively.

 

Read follow-up article: P25-B lawmakers' pork good for only 1 year

 

Alan Cayetano, who is also minority floor leader, spent P 190,200,000 out of his 2012 PDAF allocation while the rest of P 66,500,000 came from “continuing” appropriations.

 

His elder sister, Pia, got P150,004,190 out of her PDAF allocation and some P 127,061,902 from “continuing” appropriations.

 

Following the Cayetanos in the “high spenders” circle are Senators Antonio Trillanes IV who has used up P253,591,680; Sen. Francis Pangilinan at P227,200,000; Sen. Teofisto Guingona III at P 229,400,000; and Sen. Loren Legarda at P 206,000,000.

 

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who raised a howl over the senators’ additional P1.6-million in operational funds, used up her P200-million PDAF or pork barrel last year.

 

Joining Santiago in the P200-million club are Senators Gringo Honasan, Lito Lapid, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Senate majority leader Vicente Sotto III.

 

Enrile used up P 195-million of his PDAF for last year.

 

Only Senators Joker Arroyo and Panfilo Lacson have not touched their pork barrel, as they have publicly manifested through the years.

 

The spending of the other senators are as follows: Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (198-million); Sen. Francis Escudero (197-million); Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada (195-million);  Sen. Edgardo Angara (P 194.4-million); Sen. Manny Villar (190-million); Sen. Franklin Drilon (179-million); Sen. Ralph Recto (P176,999,958); Sen. Sergio Osmena (P102.3-million);  and Sen. Koko Pimentel (P59-million).

 

The report culled by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) revealed that the Senate was allocated a total of P4,142,407,730 for the fiscal year 2012 while the House of Representatives got P20,082,291,244 last year.

 

The PDAF is a lump-sum appropriation in the annual General Appropriations Act to fund the priority development programs and projects of the government.