Pamumudmod ng SARO: Tinio slams "LGU pork" giveaway' in Iloilo, flags ₱37.49-billion pork barrel surge under LGSF

ACT Teachers Representative and Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio ridiculed the Marcos administration’s brazen distribution of Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs) to local officials, describing it as a “shameless ceremony of political patronage,” as he flagged the massive ₱37.49-billion increase in Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (FALGU) under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Tinio exposed how the allocation for FALGU ballooned to a staggering amount, when the original 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) only contained ₱5 billion for the item. “At the time, we called this ‘LGU pork.’” The total Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) funding for 2026 reached ₱68 billion, far higher than the original proposal from the executive.

“Bakit lumobo nang ₱37.49 billion ang funding para sa Financial Assistance to LGUs, na sa NEP ay ₱5 billion lang? Talagang bumabaha ng pork barrel sa 2027 budget. Ngayon may SARO pork barrel giveaways pa!” said Tinio

“Clearly, this is a vehicle for congressional insertions and the patronage politics that come with it. The pork barrel system is alive and well, merely repackaged under the LGSF,” he he added.

The veteran legislator particularly scored the distribution of SAROs to municipal mayors during the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) National Congress in Iloilo City on August 25, led by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto. Tinio mocked the spectacle, likening it to a carnival of patronage rather than a serious function of governance.

“Nakita natin sa Iloilo, mismong Executive Secretary ang nag-lelead ng distribusyon ng SAROs sa mga alkalde, sa gitna ng kanilang national congress. This administration is brazenly using public funds as a tool for political patronage. Pati SARO, may seremonya nang pamimigay na parang pamimigay ng ayuda sa programang pantawid-pamilya. Ginawa nilang malaking palengke ang national congress para ipamigay ang pondo na parang kendi. Pork barrel talaga!” Tinio said.

Tinio also questioned the role of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the LGSF, after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla claimed that the department’s role is merely monitoring, with no involvement in policy-making or fund distribution.

The lawmaker also flagged the “indicative ceilings” on assistance under Local Budget Circular 169, s. 2026, which sets the maximum amount that LGUs can request for ayuda and infrastructure projects. Under the circular, barangays can receive up to ₱5 million for ayuda, and up to ₱10 million if the request is for infrastructure. It is only the barangays who cannot exceed ₱10 million. For municipalities and provinces, the circular is silent on the maximum amount per LGU.

Tinio reiterated his call for greater transparency and accountability in the budget process, stressing that public funds should be allocated based on need and equitable distribution, not on political allegiance.

“The LGSF, as it stands, is a patronage fund masquerading as support for local governments. We need genuine, needs-based budgeting—not a system where LGUs are made to beg for funds, and where those in power can reward their allies and punish their critics,” Tinio ended.###