Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has expressed concern over the resignation of Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado, ahead of the submission of the proposed 2022 national budget to Congress.
"The President's 2022 budget not been submitted 20 days after the SONA, which is behind schedule, if we are to compare with prior years. The pandemic, and the fact that the campaign period starts sets in shortly, gives Congress very little time to scrutinize the 2022 budget," Drilon, the Senate's chief fiscalizer, said in his statement on Friday, August 13.
"The sudden resignation of the Budget Secretary makes the situation more worrisome," he raised.
The DBM has yet to submit to Congress the 2022 National Expenditure Program (NEP), which proposes allocations for government operations and projects amounting to P5.024 trillion.
Under the Constitution, the executive department is mandated to submit the NEP to lawmakers for scrutiny and approval within 30 days from the opening of the regular session of Congress.
The DBM earlier committed to comply on or before the deadline.
"I will suggest to SP Sotto that we go on marathon hearings and sessions to prevent a reenactment of the 2021 GAA (General Appropriations Act) on an election year," said Drilon, who previously warned that appropriations in the 2022 budget could be used as "campaign kitty" for next year's polls.
Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance that handles the annual budget, on the other hand, said he is confident that DBM officials will be able to craft and defend the NEP even without Avisado.
"We wish Sec. Avisado good health and we trust in the capabilities of his Undersecretaries and assistant secretaries to craft a budget for 2022 that will be responsive to our people’s needs during this very difficult time," Angara said in separate text message.
"Government spending is and will continue to be crucial going forward," he added.
Avisado reportedly resigned from his post due to health reasons, which President Duterte had accepted.
Before his resignation, the DBM secretary went on medical leave from August 2 to 13 after contracting COVID-19.