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MANILA, Philippines – Senator Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday that there had been “many violations” in the wording of the proposed $ 4.5 trillion national budget for 2021.
“There are a lot of rapes in 2021,” Lacson said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
(There are many violations in this 2021 budget.)
The first violation, according to the senator, were the institutional amendments approved by a “small commission” in the House of Representatives even after the Lower House had approved in final reading the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which contains the Government’s 2021 spending plan.
“It is not about being acceptable or not to the senators. It is about the Constitution prohibiting it. Article 26 of the Constitution is very clear. No amendments will be allowed after the final reading of any bill, ”Lacson emphasized.
“In the meantime, we will have to live with that and address the budget measure in the Senate once it is transmitted to us, whether on paper or on paper. They promised to send us the USB drive, the electronic copy, before October 28, and we will have enough time to investigate it, “he added.
Senator Panfilo Lacson. File photo / Senate PRIB
Another alleged violation, Lacson said, is allowing the executive branch to modify its proposal during the authorization phase of the budget process.
According to the senator, the budget process has four phases.
“Preparation [is] managed by the executive; Authorization handled by Congress; Execution handled by the executive; and accountability. This is where COA (Audit Commission) comes in, ”he said.
“All those phases are so separate and different. We have the Authorization ”, he added.
(Then, the phases are separate and distinct. The authorization is in Congress).
In an earlier radio interview, House appropriations chairman Rep. Eric Yap said that amendments made to the budget before it goes to the Senate were all initiated by agencies of the executive branch.
“The amendment period, the misprints from all the agencies, nothing from the congressman,” Yap had said.
(In the period of amendments, all the errors are from the agencies, nothing came from the congressmen).
But this, Lacson noted, is a clear “violation” of the budget process.
“We are now in the Authorization phase and it is the exclusive domain of Congress. So we cannot allow the Executive Branch agencies to participate in the Authorization phase, ”said the senator.
“So I can’t understand why the chair of the House appropriations committee would allow the executive branch through its agencies to participate in the Authorization phase. That is a violation of the budget process, ”he added.
Additionally, Lacson said the Department of Public Roads and Highways (DPWH) submission providing details of funded projects proposed under the National Expenditures Program (NEP) is also a violation of the budget process because it “trashed” the originally submitted budget. by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to Congress.
DPWH Secretary Mark Villar previously explained to senators that there was a delay in presenting project details because the DBM only gave them their maximum budget on July 16 and a July 17 deadline to present their budget. based on this limit.
“The roof was delivered at a date very close to printing, which prevented us from giving the details in such a short time. So, in coordination with the DBM, they allowed us to present the details of our NEP in an annex that followed shortly after, ”Villar said.
READ: ‘What happened?’ Lacson on DPWH Increased Funding for Local Projects
Still, Lacson said the DPWH action “effectively changed” the NEP.
Mutilated. Really different [Changes were really made]. So again I was wondering why DPWH could participate in the authorization phase (of the) budget process kasi dapat sa Congress na ‘yan (when it should already be only for Congress). But nag-amend sila [But they amended it],” he said.
“They have an explanation [They explained that] they were pressed for time … which for us Hindi naman senators [is not] acceptable, ”he said.
‘Benefit of the doubt’
Spokesman Lord Allan Velasco previously assured that there is no “pig” in the proposed P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021 amid questions raised by some lawmakers about various appropriations after its approval.
“Definitely, definitely going through the Senate because we are bicameral. Now I would like to give you the benefit of the doubt kasi new leadership. We still don’t know Speaker Velasco and Rep. Yes, ”Lacson said.
(That will definitely go through the Senate because we are bicameral. Now I would like to give you the benefit of the doubt because this is a new leadership. We still do not know President Velasco and Representative Yap.)
“This is not about lifting the bank, we are the old guards and they are the young Turks. We just want to remind them that there is a budget process that is not supposed to be circumvented, and there is the Constitution that we must adhere to. Those are ours. basic reminders for them, ”he added.
(This is not to brag, but we are the old guards and they are the young Turks. We just want to remind you that there is a budget process that is not supposed to be circumvented, and there is the Constitution that we must adhere to. Those are ours. basic reminders for them.)
Congress is currently in recess and will resume its sessions in November.
KGA
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