OPPOSITION lawmakers yesterday denounced Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad for his “discriminatory practice” of withholding their pork barrel  consequently preventing thousands of scholars from enrolling and depriving indigents of medical assistance.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Zambales Rep. Ma. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay said she is very much worried for the future of her 1,100 scholars in the coming semester because of her and her colleagues’ unreleased Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) or pork barrel.

“I hope they would not jeopardize the future of my scholars. I have 1,100 scholars who are now facing a bleak future due to the continued non-release of funds to support their education,” said Magsaysay.

She said the seeming prejudice by the DBM against lawmakers who are critical of the Aquino administration is also affecting the scholars of her colleagues and even the medical assistance for the indigents.

Aside from Magsaysay, other lawmakers from the House minority who are yet to receive the first tranche of PDAF are Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo, Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap, Iloilo Rep. Augusto “Buboy” Syjuco, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand “Martin” Romualdez, Mindoro Occidental Mindoro Rep. Ma. Amelita “Girlie” Villarosa and Davao del Sur Rep. Marc Douglas Cagas.

The lawmakers have asked Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. to be a true father to all lawmakers, regardless of their political affiliations, in the release of their pork barrel funds because the delay betrays discrimination.

But a source said the release of pork barrel funds was beyond Belmonte’s power. “The Speaker endorsed all the requests for the release of funds, including from the opposition. But the continued delay should be addressed to Secretary Abad. It was beyond his (Belmonte) capability.”

Magsaysay disclosed last Wednesday that administration allies in Congress have been preparing the list of projects for the second tranche of PDAF worth another P35 million while some lawmakers in the opposition have not been given their allocations for the first tranche worth P35 million.

Earlier, House Minority Leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman lamented that the enrollment of many scholars have been affected and indigents are now crying for medical help because some of his colleagues from the Lakas-CMD are yet to get their PDAF.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the unfair practice of releasing the PDAF of our colleagues in the minority. This should be stopped because it is unfair and against the straight path,” said Lagman.

”Many scholars are now having serious problem continuing their education and medical assistance to the poor are not being properly attended to,” said Lagman.

The House Minority Leader aired strong suspicion that the delay in the release of their pork barrel was due to the minority’s position against impeaching former Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez, who resigned from her post before the Senate impeachment trial against her started, and their rejection of the law synchronizing the scheduled August 8 elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with the 2013 midterm polls.