DBM reviewing P80B in budget appropriations in lieu of veto
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has held up the release of funding suspected of being diverted from appropriations for flagship projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program, Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said.
Mr. Lacson said legislators “realigned” at least P80 billion from the infrastructure program in the 2020 budget to fund their “pet projects” under the 2020 spending plan.
“I support the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte and the DBM to withhold the release of these congressional realignments,” Mr. Lacson said in a statement Wednesday.
Budget Undersecretary Laura B. Pascua said the funding hold was laid out in the guidelines released on Jan. 6, the same day President Duterte signed the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2020.
“This was part of the release guidelines we issued last January 6,” Ms. Pascua said in a phone message Wednesday.
Mr. Duterte did not formally veto any provisions when he signed the 2020 Budget, raising the possibility that the spending hold represents some sort of informal veto.
In the preceding year’s budget he vetoed provisions worth over P95 billion, declaring them to be unlawful. The 2019 budget was much delayed due to claims of “insertions” — funding items that were included in the spending plan after both chambers approved a harmonized version of the legislation.
“Following the President’s veto message, Congressional changes especially those increasing appropriations for projects, will undergo checking from the implementing agencies for implementation readiness and approval of the President.”
Mr. Lacson during the budget preparation process flagged allegedly unconstitutional appropriations in the P4.1-trillion GAA, which he had relayed to Senator Juan Edgardo M. Angara, who chairs the Senate Finance committee.
Mr. lacson left the matter to the executive branch, either in the form of a veto or to have the DBM withhold funding for questionable projects.
The 2019 budget was delayed for four months due to an impasse between the House of Representatives and the DBM and later with the Senate on post-ratification realignments.
During the preparation of the 2019 budget, the Senate attached its reservations about the alleged insertions, leading to the presidential veto, which reduced the spending plan to P3.662 trillion. — Charmaine A. Tadalan
