GMA, Aquino used P21-B Malampaya fund as ‘pork’

MANILA, Philippines - Around P21 billion in Malampaya funds had been used by the Arroyo and Aquino administrations as pork barrel, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said yesterday.

“Based on the list of funded projects given by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) from January 2004 to February 2013, the past two administrations used Malampaya funds to finance priority development projects all over the country as well as other programs identified by the executive branch,” Zarate said.

“The period that the most number of disbursements occurred was October to December 2009 or a few months before the presidential elections in May 2010,” he added.

Zarate said at the time, Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was still president. Then senator Benigno Aquino III won the presidency in 2010.

Zarate earlier asked the BTr to account for P21 billion in “unreported SAROs” or special allotment release orders from the Malampaya fund.

He said between October and December 2009, P2.27 billion was allotted for structures nationwide, while flood control projects and road repairs in the National Capital Region were allocated P500 million.

Zarate said around P15 million to P50 million were given to each of the regions all over the country. But the highest allotment was given to the Department of Public Works and Highways- Ilocos region office, with P551,562,000.

Zarate said the Arroyo government diverted P900 million in Malampaya fund to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

He noted that the money ended up in bogus foundations identified with alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

“As for the Aquino administration, it used the Malampaya fund for buying junk boats and their docking for P3.6 billion, P1.1 billion was used for electrification and P1.2 billion for fuel and genset rentals,” Zarate said.