President Aquino calls for abolition of Priority
Development Assistance Fund
President Benigno S. Aquino III has called for
the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) amid
allegations of misuse of some P10 billion public funds.
In his statement in Malacanang on Friday, the
Chief Executive directed Budget Secretary Florencio Abad to consult with Senate
President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. regarding
the removal of the PDAF and the crafting of a new system.
"Inatasan ko na si Secretary Abad ng DBM na
kumonsulta kina Speaker Belmonte at Senate President Drilon upang pandayin ang
mekanismo, at isumite ito kaagad sa akin. Ilalatag natin ito upang ang mga
alokasyon sa bawat distrito ay mapabilang na sa ating Pambansang Budget simula
sa panukalang budget ng 2014," the President said.
Established in 1990, the PDAF was intended to
bring development to every part of the country by making sure that every
congressman will have an assured allocation for his district even if he is a
member of the silent committee in Congress.
"Wala pong mali o masama sa polisiyang ito.
Ang mali, ang masama, at ang siya ngang ikinagagalit ng taumbayan, ay ang
pagsasabwatan sa pagitan ng isang pangulong handang makipagtransaksyon para
manatili sa kapangyarihan; mga mambabatas na handang makipagkuntsabahan; at kung
nariyan ang kooperasyon ng burukrasya; at mga mamamayang tila namanhid na sa
panlalapastangang ginagawa sa kanila–kung nagsama-sama po ang mga sangkap na
ito, maaaring maabuso ang PDAF," he said.
The President wants a new system to ensure that
public funds are appropriately used.
"Nakakagimbal nga po ang mga rebelasyon
tulad ng mga nakapaloob sa Commission on Audit Special Audit Report ukol sa
paggamit ng PDAF noong 2007 hanggang 2009, na inilabas nitong nakaraang linggo.
Dalawang bagay po ang malinaw na kailangan nating gawin sa panahong ito,"
the President stressed.
"Una, ang panagutin ang mga umabuso sa
sistema. Kahapon, iniulat ko sa inyo na inatasan ko ang Department of Justice,
sampu ng lahat ng ahensya ng ehekutibo sa ilalim ng Inter-Agency Anti-Graft
Coordinating Council, o IAAGCC, na mag-ambagan at magtutulungan upang mapabilis
ang proseso, mula sa imbestigasyon, hanggang sa pag-usig, hanggang sa
pagpapakulong, at pati na ang pagbawi ng ilegal na yaman," he said.
The President assured the public that charges
will be filed against those involved in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
"Malinaw ang aking direktiba sa lahat ng
ahensya at kawani ng gobyerno: Ibigay ang inyong buong tulong at kooperasyon
upang mahanap ang katotohanan, at nang mapanagot ang dapat managot," he
further said.
The President expressed his confidence and trust
in the integrity of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Justice Secretary Leila
M. de Lima, and COA chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan.
"Alam kong wala silang kikilingan.
Kinakatawan nila ang panunumbalik ng tiwala ng publiko sa mga institusyong
kanilang pinamumunuan. Iyan po ang balangkas ng ating unang layunin," he
said.
He, likewise, vowed to implement budgetary
reforms to rid corruption.
"Ang ikalawa: maghanap ng mas mainam na
paraan upang siguruhing ang pera ng taumbayan ay mapunta sa taumbayan lamang.
Lilinawin ko po: Simula pa lamang, pilit na tayong nagpapasok ng reporma upang
bawasan ang diskresyon, na siyang ugat ng labis at maling paggamit ng
PDAF," he said.
The President is calling on the public to help
the government scrutinize government projects to prevent corruption.
"Inatas po nating itala sa Pambansang
Budget kung magkano ang PDAF na natatanggap ng bawat mambabatas, at ipinagbawal
na rin natin ang congressional insertions. Partikular na lamang ang menu na
puwedeng paglagyan ng PDAF, hindi katulad dati kung kailan inilalagay lamang
ito sa kung saan-saan," he concluded. PND (js)
President Aquino spells out safeguards in budgetary
releases to avoid corruption
President Benigno S. Aquino III has laid out the
safeguards in budgetary releases for projects to prevent corruption amid the
pork barrel scam allegations.
In his statement delivered in Malacanang on
Friday, the Chief Executive said his administration will create a new mechanism
"to address the needs of constituents and sectors, in a manner that is
transparent, methodical, and rational, and not susceptible to abuse or
corruption."
The President underscored the need to issue the
safeguards to ensure that public funds will be used for the benefit of the
people, and not for the benefit of a few greedy individuals.
"We will continue the practice of requiring
that projects to be funded come from a specific menu of qualified
projects," the President said.
"They cannot include consumable soft
projects, such as fertilizers, seeds, medicines, medical kits, dentures,
funding for sports fests, training materials, and other such items—these
projects of which the results and impact we cannot conclusively identify, and
which may only be ghost projects, used only as a source of income by the
corrupt," he added.
"They cannot be temporary infrastructure,
and neither can they be dredging, desilting, regravelling, or asphalt-overlay
projects," he said.
The President said the funds cannot be disbursed
to non-government organizations (NGOs) and certain Government-owned and
Controlled Corporations (GOCCs,) such as ZNAC Rubber Estate Corporation and
National Agribusiness Corporation.
"Both of these GOCCs will be abolished,
along with others of their kind that have become notorious for anomalies, and
which seem to serve no other purpose aside from being instruments of
corruption," the President said.
The funds must be limited to the district or
sector of the legislator who sponsored it, he noted.
The President said all items will be subject to
open and competitive bidding, with all bid notices and awards posted in the
Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System or PhilGEPS.
"So that the public may monitor the
implementation themselves, we will make sure that each item will be disclosed
in the DBM and related agency websites and the National Data Portal of the
government," he said.
Senate President Franklin Drilon expressed
support for the abolition of the pork barrel, while Sen. Miriam
Defensor-Santiago filed a resolution for the three-year phaseout of the congressional
pork.
Several other senators expressed support for the
abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Senators Francis
Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano earlier filed separate resolutions seeking the
scrapping of the PDAF.
Other senators who expressed support for PDAF's
scrapping are Ralph Recto, Gregorio Honasan, Teofisto Guingona III, Aquilino
Pimentel III, Loren Legarda, Grace Poe, Juan Edgardo Angara, Ramon Revilla Jr.
and Benigno Aquino IV, all members of the majority bloc.
Members of the minority who supported the idea
of scrapping the PDAF included Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Joseph Victor
Ejercito. PND (js)
