Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday said funds allocated for the government’s anti-insurgency and intelligence operations under the 2021 national budget should be realigned to fund the proposed Bayanihan 3.
(Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO)
Drilon, in an interview over Radio DZBB, said these funds that take up this year’s budget are not that much needed.
“Ang gusto ko pong mangyari ay mabigyan ng sapat na ayuda yung naghihirap nating kababayan na naghihirap dahilan sa ipinapailan nating lockdown (What I want to happen is for our poor citizens who are having difficulties during this lockdown are given cash assistance),” Drilon said.
“Hindi ko na maintidihan kung bakit sinasabi nila na wala ng pera ang pamahalaan kaya wala ng dagdag na ayuda. Sa akin, hindi tama iyan. May pera basta ilagay lang natin sa tama (I can't understand why they keep on saying the government has no more money that’s why it can't give more assistance. To me, that’s not right. There is money as long as these are used in the proper manner),” he said.
“Marami sa budget ang hindi naman kailangan. Halimbawa, yung confidential and intelligence fund (P9.5 billion) at yung anti-insurgency fund (P19.5 billion). Iyan naman ay pwedeng gamitin (There are many items in the budget that we don't need. For example, the confidential and intelligence fund at P9.5-billion, and the anti-insurgency fund at P19.5-billion. That can be used),” added the senator.
According to Drilon, these funds should be realigned under the proposed Bayanihan 3 to augment the resources needed by the government to provide financial assistance to those who lost jobs and their sources of livelihood.
Though the President currently has the powers to make budgetary realignments even without the passage of the law, the government’s fund is still insufficient.
If passed into law Bayanihan 3 will not only help affected individuals, but also micro, small and medium enterprises adversely affected by the pandemic.
“Sa ngayon alam ko mahigit sa 400,000 mga small and medium enterprises na nagsara dahil dito, kailangan matulungan din yan. Kaya kailangan natin yung panibagong pondo sa Bayanihan 3 (Right now, I believe more than 400,000 SMEs were forced to close because of this, we need to help them too. That’s why we need to have new funds under Bayanihan 3), he added.
Drilon earlier urged Duterte to call for a special session so that lawmakers can pass the Bayanihan 3 bill pending both in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he had no problem conducting a special session if needed, but said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) should find other sources available.
House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and his allies, on the other hand, are pursuing the passage of the bill, which is now being studied by the House Committee on Economic Affairs and Social Services.