Oppose at your own risk: Carpio tells how Duterte’s got lawmakers by the balls

President Rodrigo Duterte has got majority of lawmakers in the House of Representatives by the balls by impounding funds for their pet projects “for later release (FLR),” retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said.

In his Sept. 16 column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), Carpio called the FLR as the “younger sibling” of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), which was struck by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional in 2013.

Funds under FLR cannot be released by the Department of Budget and Management without clearance from the President, even if they have already been appropriated for projects by Congress.

“These congressional insertions are for projects in the districts of legislators who are now at the mercy of the President, who may or may not release these congressional insertions,” Carpio explained.

The former Supreme Court magistrate said lawmakers at the House must toe the line if they want to receive their share in some P140 billion in FLR funds in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 2021 budget.

“Legislators cannot leave the President’s party or coalition until they get their FLRs released. Meanwhile, the last day for filing Certificates of Candidacy, which is on Oct. 8, 2021, is fast approaching. President Duterte has got the legislators by their balls,” Carpio said.

The retired Supreme Court justice said unreleased FLR funds could be declared by the President as savings and realign them to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which gives P22 million to barangays allegedly cleared of communist influence.

“The candidates supporting the President’s party or coalition can recommend what barangays will be given P22 million each, and this will obliterate their political opponents,” Carpio said.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)