Congress will have final say on new system of
disbursement, says Abad
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad defended the
decision of President Benigno S. Aquino III to abolish the Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers saying that in the end it’s the members of
Congress who will have the final say on the new system of disbursement.
Some administration critics said the major
reason why the President called on scrapping PDAF is to have total control of
the money allotted to members of Congress.
But in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng
Bayan on Saturday, Abad said the PDAF issue is open for deliberation and the
members of Congress will decide on it and not the executive branch.
Abad said while the Executive proposes the
guideline and sets limits to projects needing funding, in the end Congress will
have the final decision.
“Ang Executive, nagtatalaga ng guidelines.
Ngayon, ang pagpapatibay, ‘yung approval nito ay nasa Kongreso,” he said.
At the same time, Abad said the Palace can not
control the new system of disbursement because all the releases are posted on
government websites to ensure transparency.
According to Abad, among the projects to be
included on the limited menu under the new system will be projects concerning
education such as granting of scholarships, alternative learning systems and
assistance to students.
Also included will be health projects, summer
jobs for students, projects ensuring peace and order and building emergency
evacuation centers.
Infrastructure development will also be
prioritized, Abad said, such as building local roads and bridges, day care
centers, and barangay health stations.
The President has decided to abolish PDAF to put
an end to abuses being committed by some groups at the expense of the public
that need major services and government projects, Abad said.
The government has to carry out a new system of
disbursement to lawmakers so that the P25.2 billion already allotted in the
national budget could be spent wisely for public good, he said.
In a statement in Malacanang on Friday,
President Aquino called for the abolition of PDAF amid allegations of misuse of
some P10 billion public funds through releases to bogus non-government
organizations (NGOs).
The President directed 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.
Established in 1990, the PDAF was intended to
bring development to every part of the country by giving congressmen
allocations regardless of their political affiliations.
PDAF fills the limitations of the national
government in spearheading development projects. Under the system, lawmakers
propose projects to be funded by their PDAFs. PND (as)
Abad explains special purpose funds, asks
critics not to muddle situation
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad appealed to
those claiming to be experts on the budget to help the people understand how
government money is spent and not muddle the issue of disbursements.
“Ang pakiusap natin sa mga kababayan natin,
lalong-lalo na ‘yung sinasabing sila raw ay dalubhasa sa budget, tulungan naman
nating bigyan ng paliwanag ang ating mamamayan, at huwag naman natin silang
bigyan ng paliwanag na hindi naman makakapagmulat sa kanila,” Abad said in a
radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.
“Magulo na nga ang sitwasyon, guguluhin pa
natin, samantalang, puwede naman nating paliwanagan ang ating mga kababayan.”
Some critics said that while there’s a call to
abolish the discretionary funds, they have been asking why the presidential pork
has to be retained.
Abad said that there are people who are
confusing the public to put the President in bad light regarding the pork
barrel issue.
He explained that there must be lump sums or
special purpose funds so that the government could immediately act, and would
have the money, during emergency situations.
Among these funds include the calamity fund for
typhoon victims, the contingency fund for overseas Filipino workers affected by
unrest abroad, and money for emergency response by the police and the military.
Another special purpose funds are pension funds,
the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of LGUs, and debt servicing, he said.
It is not practical for the executive branch to
go to Congress during an emergency situation to get the appropriate budget
that’s why special funds are created in the budget.
Another contentious issue is the Miscellaneous
Personnel Benefits Fund, he said. Some critics said it’s a President’s pork
barrel, but Abad said it is not because it has a specific part in the national
budget.
This money is transferred to departments when
there is a need to be filled, he said.
President Aquino called on Friday for the
abolition of PDAF amid allegations of misuse of some P10 billion public funds
through releases to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs). He directed Abad
to consult with Congress regarding the removal of the PDAF and the crafting of
a new system.
PDAF, established in 1990, was intended to bring
development to every part of the country by giving congressmen allocations
regardless of their political affiliations. PND (as)
Government has enough resources to help typhoon,
flood victims
The administration made an assurance on Saturday
that the government has enough money to help typhoon and flood victims as a
result of a more efficient fiscal management.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said in a radio
interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan that because of a better economy under the
Aquino administration, the government was able to cut the interest for its
debts enabling it to have more fund for different programs.
Also because of a stronger economy under the
President’s stewardship, the country’s need to borrow decreases, Abad said.
There is also an increasing tax collection in
the country making the national government have more money to fund wide array
of social projects, he added.
“Ang ibig sabihin nito, ang ating pamahalaan sa
ngayon ay nagkakaroon ng lumalaking fiscal space o pondo na puwedeng gamitin sa
iba’t ibang programa, Abad noted.
For instance, Abad said that for next year, the
administration allocated P27 billion for flood control initiatives.
When the President visited Laguna this week, he
announced the construction of dikes and flood control structures to mitigate
the flooding in Laguna, Abad said.
“Kung makikita ninyo ngayon sa Metro Manila,
maski na bumabaha, mabilis mawala ang tubig dahil nga ito sa mga ginagawang
flood control projects,” he added.
The government has a remaining P6.8 billion
calamity fund at the middle of this year with a separate P680 million as
contingency fund, the budget chief said.
Different departments, which are frontliners
during calamities, also have huge quick reaction funds in their coffers, he
said. Among these agencies include the Department of National Defense (DND) and
the Office of Civil Defense.
Because of the quick reaction fund, these
agencies could immediately react and help communities during disasters even
without direct supervision of the President.
“Ito ang kalagayan at sitwasyon natin ngayon.
Kaya huwag mangangamba ang ating mga kababayan dahil may sapat na pondo ang
ating mga ahensiya at ating mga calamity fund para tulungan sila,” Abad said.
PND (as)
