I am not a credit grabber: Lawmaker

ANGELES CITY -- Congressman Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin on Sunday clarified that he is not a credit grabber, contrary to a statement issued by Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan in connection with the proposed widening of the West Circumferential Road.

Pamintuan said he proposed to the Regional Development Council, being the chairman of the councils committee on tourism, the improvement of the circumferential road, a vital link of City of San Fernando and Angeles City leading to Clark Freeport.

Pamintuan during the conference also said the congressman cannot implement P342.9 million by next year, considering that a congressman is only entitled to P70 million worth of projects under the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

But Lazatin’s camp said the project is included in the project list of the Department of Public Works and Highways listed under the representative’s infrastructure program for 2013.

“With due respect to our City Mayor, he is right that a congressman is only entitled to P70 million a year for his/her PDAF. He is not possibly aware that there is what we call budget insertion, wherein we are given allocations from different national agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Road Board, Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Agriculture (DA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA),” said Irish Calaguas, chief political affairs officer of Lazatin.

Next year, the first district has an additional allocation of P312.9 million from DPWH, including the P100-million road widening project of the West Circumferential Road, and P10 million from Department of Agriculture (DA), on top of Lazatin’s regular P20 million PDAF, according to Calaguas.

These are budget insertions and without politicking; Lazatin along with DPWH will implement these projects, Calaguas said.

“Congressman Lazatin is not a credit grabber. What we are doing here is we are implementing projects allocated in our district for the benefit of our people,” Calaguas added.

She vowed to provide mediamen an official copy from the DPWH of the list of infrastructure projects being implemented in the 1st District of Pampanga.

Calaguas added that Congressman Lazatin is doing what he is mandated to do and he is very happy with the Leoncia Bridge completion.

“Ang pondo pong ginamit diyan ay diretsong ni-lobby ni Congressman Lazatin kay DPWH Secretary Singson,” Calaguas said.

“For the past five years, Congressman Lazatin implemented a total of P1 billion infrastructure projects at hindi po iyon magagawa ni Congressman Lazatin kung aasa lamang sya sa PDAF,” Calaguas added.