PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. AQUINO III delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address on Monday amid allegations that more than P10 billion in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), more commonly known as the pork barrel, had gone to commissions and ghost projects implemented by government agencies and ghost NGOs.
But while the President’s allies have appeared to have evaded being linked directly to the scandal (authorities are currently investigating PDAF releases from mostly opposition legislators), there are no indications that the Aquino administration will remove pork, despite the growing public outcry.
Over the years, the proportion of the national budget that are highly discretionary lump-sum and special purpose funds has remained big. For 2013, for example, almost P450 billion of the national budget may be identified as pork barrel-like funds. This is over and above the P25 billion earmarked annually for the more infamous pork barrel of senators and congressmen.
In its latest offering, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism looks into the dynamics of the pork barrel, patronage, and politicking.
The report, authored by PCIJ Executive Director Malou Mangahas, may be read here.
Also check out a sidebar story by PCIJ Research Director Karol Ilagan on the flow of pork funds.