Belmonte: House-approved 2015 budget pork-free

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. on Tuesday assured that the proposed P2.6006 trillion budget approved by the House of Representatives is constitutional and pork-free, contrary to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago's claim.

“That's her opinion. There is no pork in our budget,” Belmonte said on Tuesday.

In her privilege speech, Santiago said that the 2015 national budget was loaded with pork barrel and that the new definition of savings was unconstitutional for being over-broad and vague. The senator suggested that the Department of Budget and Management retain the old definition of savings.

Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab defended the 2015 national budget, noting that the definition they crafted complies with the Constitution, existing laws, rules and recent Supreme Court (SC) jurisprudence.

"With all due respect to Senator Miriam, the clause at any time for justifiable reasons is not included or part of the House version's definition of savings," Ungab said.

House Committee on Appropriations and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone added that it is only the SC which can decide if any issue is unconstitutional. 

Aside from the redefined savings, Santiago hit the P37.3 billion lump sum funds appropriated to the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Public Works and Highways and the Commission on Higher Education.

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