Senator Sonny Angara on Thursday, October 6 questioned the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) after the latter disclosed that the programs under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for 2020 and 2021 are unidentified.
Angara took note of the matter during the Senate Committee on Finance’s deliberation on the DBM’s proposed P1.8-billion budget for 2023, when Sen. Nancy Binay asked for updates regarding the implementation of the projects requested by the NTF-ELCAC.
The task force agency is asking P10-billion funds as special purpose funds (SPF) in 2023. However, the DBM was unable to provide updates on the P19.24-billion which was released to the NTF-ELCAC for 2021, which includes the P16.4-billion SPF.
This prompted Binay to read out the document: “Based on this document, out of the 2021 release, total amount P16-billion, ‘yung ongoing is P2.9-billion, completed is P3.2-billion.”
“So it seems like 50 percent of the P16-billion of the project is still in limbo,” Binay noted.
Angara, who chairs the finance panel, then asked the DBM details of the P3.2-billion completed projects of the NTF-ELCAC, as there were doubts on the implementation of their programs.
But there’s no report. “You’re the budgetary experts, how do you judge that?” Angara pointed out.
“How do you justify the P10-billion (you are asking) for next year when we don’t even know what's with this budget?” Binay also asked.
Canda responded saying they only allocated funds to the barangays already cleared of insurgency. When Binay asked the DBM to submit the list of barangay beneficiaries for the SPF for 2023, Canda said “unfortunately, the projects are identified only during the implementation.”
This prompted Angara to point out such move is considered “pork barrel” based on the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision.
“Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III is agreeing that it's a pork barrel based on the definition of the SC. Because, when you passed the GAA (General Appropriations Act) there must be identification of projects,” Angara pointed out.
Angara said DBM officials should apply the same standards they apply to other funds to the NTF-ELCAC.
“Is there no way to improve the program in that sense, from a budgetary standpoint? The standards you apply to different funds, should also be applied to them (NTF-ELCAC),” the lawmaker asked.
“Let’s apply the same standard across the board. Our colleagues will be acidulous in pursuing the implementation of the program,” he warned.