Former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and his buddy, former House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, dismissed insinuations that they had a hand in funneling billions of pesos in pork to their congressional districts. In fact, Alvarez said he never saw the national expenditure program (NEP) prepared by the Department of Budget and Management. His removal was spearheaded by the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who had locked horns with him over various issues. “Everything listed therein was in the NEP submitted by the President,” Fariñas said. “I left the majority two days after the Sona when I joined the minority, and there is no way I could have added anything to it,” he added.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 11, 2018 23:25 UTC