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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Guni-guni lang 'yan!': Palace denies 'pork' in 2022 budget

'Guni-guni lang 'yan!': Palace denies 'pork' in 2022 budget

Published Sep 6, 2021 03:48 pm

"Guni-guni lang po 'yan (That's an illusion)."

This was how Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque described a lawmaker's observation that a supposed "new variant" of the illegal pork barrel fund was included in the government's proposed P5.024-trillion budget for 2022.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (OPS / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

Roque made the statement after Gabriela partylist representative Arlene Brosas found P10 billion allocated to an item called Growth Equity Fund (GEF) under the Local Government Support Fund that could be used for next year's elections.

She said that the allocation falls within the juridical definition of pork barrel or discretionary funds of the legislature that the Supreme Court had declared illegal.

In his press briefing on Monday, September 6, Roque said the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) in the proposed 2022 budget is higher by more or less 37 percent because local government units (LGUs) will now be shouldering the expenses of the services offered by the departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Agriculture (DA), and Health (DOH).

However, he explained that the equity fund will be released to 4th, 5th, and 6th class municipalities because they cannot afford to shoulder the expenses for the services of the said agencies.

"Miski gawin mong 37 percent more ang kanilang budget, hindi po sapat para sagutin ang gastos dati ng DA, DOH, at DSWD. Diyan po papasok ang equity fund (Even if we increase their budget by 37 percent, it will not be enough to pay for the services of the DA, DOH, and DSWD. This is where the equity fund comes in)," Roque said.

However, Roque said the Palace is expecting national agencies and LGUs to come up with their devolution plan following their increased IRA.

Last month, Malacañang said the proposed 2022 budget was the biggest budget proposed by the Executive Branch to Congress.

As per the DBM, the 2022 NEP was carefully crafted to provide the necessary funding requirements to support the country’s resilience against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, to sustain the trajectory of economic growth, and to continue the legacy of infrastructure development.

Some key items in the proposed 2022 budget are the following:

  • P45.4 billion for COVID-19 booster shots of 93.798 million fully vaccinated Filipinos
  • P983 million for the establishment of Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines
  • P140 million for biosurveillance and immune-biosurveillance of COVID-19 variants under the Genomic Information and Resource Hub

Related Tags

Harry Roque 2022 budget pork barrel 2022 elections IRA
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