P20 Billion Scam!

Kabataan Congresman Terry Ridon called for a congressional inquiry into the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB) funds distributed to the Local Government Units (LGUs). He said that there is another funding scam on the scale of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and even pork barrel anomalys under the present administration.
  
He said that the Aquino administration distributed P20 billion under the GPB (Grassroots Participatory Budgeting) to local executives.

Some of it includes the:
- P403.5-million National Greening Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
- P869-million Health Facilities Enhancement Program of the Department of Health.
- P899-million Sustainable Livelihood Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
- P76-million Sitio Electrification Program of the National Electrification Administration.
  
GPB started in 2013 and it reached P8.4 billion spread over 595 municipalities. For 2014, the budget under GPB soared to a total of P20.03 billion spread over 1,226 municipalities, almost on par with the budget for the now defunct Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
   
GPB is like PDAF where in the LGUs are asked to give a “wish list” of P15 million worth of projects that they want to be funded by the national government, through consultations with local basic sector organizations (BSOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs).
   
If approved by the DBM, the projects would then be included in the proposed budget of specific agencies.

Source: Journal Online

Jinggoy said P50M additional funds was given to senators who voted to convict former Chief Justice Corona

Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Thursday said in a privilage speach that additional P50-million funds were given to senators who voted to convict former Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Estrada said the allocation was "provided in a private and confidential letter" from current Senate President Franklin Drilon, who was Senate finance committee chairperson at the time.

Former Chief Justice Corona was convicted by the Senate impeachment court on May 29, 2012 for betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Philippine Constitution. The vote was 20 for conviction and three for acquittal.

Senators who voted for Corona's conviction:

Edgardo Angara
Alan Peter Cayetano
Pia Cayetano
Franklin Drilon
Francis Escudero
Jinggoy Estrada
Teofisto Guingona III
Gregorio Honasan II
Panfilo Lacson
Lito Lapid
Loren Legarda
Sergio Osmeña III
Francis Pangilinan
Aqulino "Koko" Pimentel III
Ralph Recto
Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.
Vicente Sotto III
Antonio Trillanes IV
Manuel Villar
Juan Ponce Enrile

Those who voted to acquit Corona:

Joker Arroyo
Miriam Defensor-Santiago
Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Estrada also said that officials of President Aquino's government also used pork barrel funds to gather support from lawmakers on certain issues like the impeachment of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

COA head Pulido Tan said that Sen. Jinggoy Estrada did not deny any part of the COA special audit that he called “biased” and “selective” in a privilege speech Wednesday.

“I wasn't hurt. As a matter of fact natutuwa ako na wala siyang dineny. Ang sa akin ibig sabihin nun na tama 'yung aming findings. Lahat 'yun documented, hindi manufactured 'yun. That's a vindication for us,” Pulido Tan said .

She also revealed that Sen. Jinggoy asked for a favor, but she did not reveal what it was.

“I have been going abroad for official business. As a matter of fact he knows that, alam niya kasi nung July nasa New York ako, tinawagan niya ako at meron siyang request,” she said.