MANILA – House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Rolando Andaya Jr. on Monday accused the Senate of “sabotaging” the priority programs of the Duterte administration when it supposedly cut down the allocation for infrastructure and other projects of the government.
Andaya made the remark as he clarified accusations from senators that the amendments of the House in the bicameral conference committee meetings in the budget were only meant to “debilitate” the executive in implementing government priority programs.
In a statement, Andaya maintained that the House never moved to reduce the allocations for infrastructure projects in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
He even said that the House made amendments to increase the budget for these programs without going beyond the total amount pegged in the NEP in order to spur economic growth through public expenditure.
“It is the Senate that may find itself liable to accusation of sabotage when it decided, unilaterally, to cut down the allocation for the President’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ Program and other priority projects,” Andaya said.
Among these items taken out by the Senate from the 2019 General Appropriations Bill, according to Andaya, include P5 billion from the Department of Transportation for right-of-way projects, P11.033 billion from the Department of Public Works and Highways also for right-of-way projects, and P2.5 billion under the same department of foreign-assisted projects.
“Depriving the government with funds for right-of-way and other infrastructure projects will surely hamper the implementation of the President’s Build, Build, Build Program,” Andaya said.
“Construction on priority projects including mass transit and railway systems will be mostly affected,” he added.
Aside from these, allocation for other priority programs under various department were also slashed, Andaya claimed, including:
- Technical Education and Skills Development Authority – P3 billion for scholarship of rebel returnees, out-of-school youths and rehabilitating drug dependents enrolled under the Universal Access to Tertiary Education, resulting in the lost of scholarship for at least 320,000 students enrolled under this program;
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources – P2.254 billion for National Greening Program, which resulted in 50 percent budget cut for all PENROs except Antique;
- Department of Foreign Affairs – P7.5 billion budget for SEA Games taken out, but P5 billion transferred to Philippine Sports Commission and P2.5 billion cannot be found;
- Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit Fund – P13.4 billion, which is one of three sources of money paid to government personnel;
- Pension and Gratuity Fund – P39 billion, which covers the payment for pension of AFP retirees; retirement benefits for optional retirees of the national government; separation benefits or incentives of personnel affected by restructuring, rightsizing, merger, streamlining, abolition or privatization of agencies; and monetization of leave credits of national government personnel.
“We are confident that the Office of the President would consider these items in their review and find ways on how to restore them in the President’s veto message,” Andaya said.
It was only last week that the 2019 budget bill was submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte for signing and approval.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III, however, said he had “strong reservations” in the budget bill, and urged the President to veto its “unconstitutional” provisions.
Andaya said the House respects the veto power of the President, and they believe that he will use this power for the benefit of the people.
‘Last ditch effort’
Reached for his comments, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Andaya’s accusations were last ditch effort to obfuscate the issue and try to prevent the President’s veto of the illegal realignments.
“Even their colleagues know. No excuses necessary because the President knows everything,” Sotto said in a text message to GMA News Online.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, said the infighting brought about by the “spoils for the victors” actually exposed the indiscretions of the House leadership in whimsically realigning pork insertions even after the ratification of the bicameral report.
“The continuing battle for pork has not only make the situation worse for them. It is actually becoming uglier,” he said.
On a positive note, Lacson said, it was good for the Filipino taxpayers since it could make it easier for Malacañang to discern when the President exercises his line item veto authority. (GMA News)
