Scrap public funds for pork: Philippine MP to Duterte

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - A youth representative in Philippines parliament urged President Rodrigo Duterte to withdraw public funds for pork, media reports said on Tuesday.

According to the daily Manila Bulletin, lawmaker Sarah Jane Elago representing Kabataan Partylist in the Congress of the Philippines sought scrapping of pork barrel funds from the 2019 national budget.

Elago filed a resolution in the parliament calling on the chief executive to ensure that the PHP 3.757 trillion ($570 million) 2019 national budget will be pork-free.

“Be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved, that the president scrap any and all insertions of pork barrel funds from the 2019 national budget as it has already been declared unconstitutional and it is a betrayal of public trust,” Elago said in the resolution submitted in the parliament.

Kabataan Partylist is a party in the Philippines which aims to represent the interests of the youth sector in the Philippine Congress composed of different youth groups all over the country.

“Instead of inserting pork barrel in the national budget, members of the House must find ways to re-channel funds to basic social services such as education, healthcare, and housing,” the youth lawmaker added.