Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (Facebook)

Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co has insisted that unprogrammed funds are legal amid Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman’s petition before the Supreme Court (SC) questioning the controversial budget item. 

Co, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, clarified that unprogrammed funds are “not obligation or contract”, and that they are intended for emergency projects included in the government’s wish list in case of surplus revenues.

“It is only a wish list na pag nagkaroon ng extra funds binibigyan natin ang ating pamahalaan para mas makatulong sa ating mga kababayan at tumaas ang economic growth natin,” the lawmaker said in a radio interview.

(It is only a wish list, when we have extra funds then we give them to our government to further help our countrymen and boost our economic growth.)

“Ang gusto natin ay double digit growth. Direct assistance sa ating mamamayan especially sa panahon ngayon medyo mataas ang inflation na kinokontrol natin. Naglalagay tayo ng pondo na just in case magkaroon ng extra revenue para po sa ating mga mamamayan,” he added.

(What we want is double digit growth. Direct assistance to our people, especially nowadays, when the inflation quite high and we're trying to control it. We put down a fund just in case there is extra revenue for our citizens.)

Thus, said Co in response to Lagman’s petition that questioned the legality of the additional P449.5 billion unprogrammed funds in the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Co notes that Lagman is a veteran congressman who has signed off on several past national budgets with unprogrammed funds. 

He said this proves that Lagman had agreed before that unprogrammed funds were legitimate budget items. “Hindi siya bago sa system…Hindi po yan illegal” (This is not new to the system... That is not illegal.)

“Matagal nang meron nito nandito na yan kahit naging chairman pa si Lagman sa appropriations nung 2007 meron na yan even before him. Matagal na yang meron. Last 15 years sa bicameral conference committee, even last year—meron akong documents na pumirma siya kaya legal po yan 'di illegal,” he said.

(It has been there for a long time, even when Lagman was chairman of appropriations in 2007, it was there even before him. It's been there for a long time. Last 15 years in the bicameral conference committee, even last year—I have documents that he signed so it's legal, not illegal.)

The ranking solon explained that these funds have long been a part of previous national budgets.

“Ang gamit po niyan kapag may emergency like Covid, kinulang pa nga tayo. Gumastos po tayo ng P400 billion. Nag slash ng pondo sa NEP (national expenditure program) at may mga proyektong hindi natuloy, para lang matugunan ang bagong pangangailangan,” he said.

(That's what it was used for when there was an emergency like Covid, we didn’t even have enough then. We spent P400 billion. Funding was slashed in the NEP and some projects were shelved, just to meet the new demand.)

Co says unprogrammed funds are only released following a certification from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the National Treasury that there is extra revenue.