lice Andaya

of the bud8etveto message.

Butdre Seuate should be held account-
able for "cutting down the allocation"'for
Dutertet 'Build, Build, Bqild'. Program
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IBUDGET FROM A1
Senate cut
and other big projects of the gov-
emment, Andaya said.
"lt is the Senate thar may find
itself liable to accusation of sabo-
uge when it decided, unilaterally,
to cut down lhe allocation for the
President's Build, Build, Build Pro-
gam and other priority projects, "
he said.
Senate President Vicente "Tito"
Sotto 3rd accused Andala of ob-
fuscating the budget issue to pre-
vent Duterte's veto ofthe Hduse's
"illegal"realignments. I said Andala.
"tt last-ditch effort to obfus-
sa
cate the issu€ ind try to prevent
the President's veto of their il-
legal realignments. Even their
colleagues know. No excuses
necessary because the President
knows everithing" Sotto said in
a statement.
According to the House appro-
priations chief, the P80 billion
worth of items taken out of the
2019 General Appropriations Bill
by the Senate included, but were
not limited to, the following:
- P5 billion for right-of-way
projects for the Depaitment of
Transportation.
- Pii billion for right-of-way
proiects for the Department of
Public Works and Highways
(DPwH).
- P2.5 billion for foreign-as-
sisted projects under the DPWH.
- P3 billion for scholarship
funds under the Technical Edu-
cation and Skills Development
Authodty allotted for rebel re-
turnees, out-of-school youth and
rehabilitating drug dependens.
- P2.25 billionforthe National
Greening Program of the Depart-
ment of Environment and Natural
Resourdes.
-P7.5 billion for the Southeast
Asian Games budget (P5 billion
ofwhich was allegedly transfened
to the Philippide Sports Commis-
sion and P2.5 billion missing);
\ TqDAT )oAq€,
- P13.4 blllion ior the Miscel-
laneous Personnel Benefits Fund,
one of the sources of salaries of
government personnel.
- P39 billion for the Pension
and Gratuity Fund, which will
supposedly cover the pension of
military personnel and retirees
from national and local govem-
ment units.
"We wish to emphasize that
the details of these budget cuts
were not fully discussed in the
bicameral conference committee.
.The s'enaton unilaterally decided
on the budget cuts and realigned
them to other items based on re-
quest of individual preponents,"
Andaya noted that House
: amendments even increased the
I budget for inftastructure projects
"without breaching the total
amount pegged by the National
EJpenditure kqgram" and were
still passing the test of ,,transpar-
ency and accountabiliry,' coun-
tering the senators' allegations of
their'unconstitutional,, move.
Veto sugg-esfed
Last week, Sotto signed "with res-
ervations" the printed copyofthe
budget measure, letting the House
retain a version with p75 billion
in 'pork banel" money that was
itemized only after the budget
bicameral conference committee
report was ratified last Februarv 8.
"ln particular, it is my view ihat
itis unconstitutional rhat pZ5 bil-
lion worth of progtams/projects
under the Local Infrastructure
Program of the Departqrent of
Public Works and Highways was
funded through intemal realign-
ments, after the Bicameral Con-
ference Committee Report was
ratifred by rea lign ing curs ftom ( I
Organizatjonal Outcome I (Assei
Preseryation Program, Network
Development Program and Bridge
Profram) and (2) Organizational
Outcome 2 (Flood Management
Program and Convergence and
Support Program)," Sotto said.
Gz)
'The President maywish to con-
sider disapproving these unconsti
tutional rcalignm€nts, pdrsuant to
his constitutional power to veto
pafticular items in the General
Appropriations Bill," the Senate
president added.
Lacson owns up
Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on
Monday said he moved to cut
P75billion only after the DPWH
admitted it was not aware of the
additional appropriations and,
therefore, not prepared to imple-
ment the projects.
Aborit P20 billion in right-of-
way funding was also cut after
the agency admitted it could not
utilize the amount in 2019.
Another P16 billion ftom the
Department of the lntirior and
Local Govemment's financial as-
sistance to local govemments was
cut after the department said it
knew nothing about the funding.
"l found out that at least P23 bil-
lion was realigned at the initiative of
a number of my colleagues. Other
realignments were used to augment
the much depleted HFEP (Health
Facilities Enhancement ltoiea); the
activation of the Philippine tumy's
11th Infanty Division upon the
direction of the Presidenq adjust-
ments to the purchase ofmedicines
by the Veterans Memorial Medical
Center due to the increase in lhe
price index ofmedicines; and other
institutional amendments, and,
therefore, should not be regarded
as pork, " he said..
Lacson stressed tiat he did not
sign the bicameral repon and dis-
sented when it was presented on
the Senate floor for ratification.
GLEE JALEA
ANDJAVIER JO,E ISMAEL
)