Review of bicam process sought after 'sneaky' AKAP fund insertion in 2024 nat'l budget

Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay on Sunday, February 18 expressed her support to proposals seeking to review the current process adopted by the Senate and House of Representatives during the bicameral conference committee level when approving the final version of the national budget. 

Considering the time constraint lawmakers face whenever both houses of Congress tackle the national budget, Binay said it is high-time that lawmakers consider strengthening the rules to promote transparency and efficiency.

“Magandang tingnan kung ano yung magandang idagdag dun sa proseso (bicam) parang ngayon kasi nagkakagulatan (It’ll be good to consider adding something to the bicameral conference committee process, because like now, some people end being surprised),” Binay said in an interview over Radio DZBB.

Binay’s proposal comes after Senate and House lawmakers trade barbs and accusations regarding the alleged P26.7-billion fund allocation in the 2024 budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).

Senators, during the Senate’s investigation into the People’s Initiative (PI) signature drive, which was said to be tainted by corruption, had questioned the existence of AKAP, which they said was clearly a fund inserted by the House lawmakers during the bicameral conference committee on the 2024 national budget.

House lawmakers, on the other hand, insisted that the Senate was well aware of the existence of the program with Senior House Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. claiming and showing proof that Sen. Imee Marcos signed the bicameral committee report containing the funds for AKAP.

Binay noted that whenever the budget season sets in, lawmakers are pressed for time to fully scrutinize the final content and version of the budget due to its aversion to pass a re-enacted budget for next year.

“Dahil ayaw nga ayaw natin magkaroon ng re-enacted budget kaya nga pilit na hinahabol yan bago matapos ang taon dapat mapirmahan na ni presidente (Because we don’t want a re-enacted budget, that’s why we try to pursue finishing it before the end of the year, so it would be signed by the President as soon as possible),” she pointed out.

“So siguro tingnan natin kung papaano hindi magiging dahilan yung magiging kakulangan ng panahon para talagang mas matignan at mas mapag aralan etong mga nangyayari during the bicam (So maybe we should figure out how to avoid using the lack of time as an excuse for it, so we can really scrutinize and fully study what is happening in the budget during the bicam),” she said.

In a related development, former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, likewise, called for transparency in the budget process at the bicameral conference committee level, noting that this particular exercise is not open to the members of the media. 

“Ang BCC sa budget, walang minutes. At ito hindi dinadaluhan hindi covered ng media ito. Walang pwede sa loob ng kwarto, exclusive para sa bicam committees ng both houses. So doon maraming pwedeng mangyari (during the BCC on the budget, they don’t keep minutes of the meeting. And the media is also not allowed to cover the meeting. No one can enter the room, it is exclusive for the members of the bicam committees of both houses. So in that regard, anything can really happen),” Lacson pointed out in an interview over DWPM.

Lacson also noted there are no rules, nor is there a law that prohibits lawmakers from introducing certain items or provisions during the bicameral meeting.

“Ang masama, ang trust. Kasi kung may mutual trust ang HOR at Senado, walang magsisingit (The bad thing is, the trust. If both the House of Representatives and the Senate had a mutual trust, no one would dare insert some provisions),” he pointed out.

“Ang nangyari sa AKAP, parang palihim, parang sneaky ang pag insert kasi tinago ito, nasa ilalim ng budget ng appropriation ng DSWD pero parang naka-insert after Quick Response Fund, doon napasingit (What happened in the AKAP, it was done sneakily. The insertion was done sneakily because they hid it under the DSWD’s budget appropriation but was inserted after the QRF, it was inserted there),” he explained.

That is why Lacson said, he is not at all surprised why the senators are not aware of the House’s move to include the P26-billion funds for AKAP.

“Kaunti nakakaalam, bakit kaunti nakakaalam? Doon lumabas ang suspicion ang nakakaalam lang nito ang mga proponent (Few know, why do only a few people know? That's where the suspicion comes out because it was only the proponents who know about it),” Lacson lamented.

“Sa Senado wala silang kamalay malay na may AKAP as an item sa budget ng DSWD. Doon nag-ugat ang controversy. Kung natandaan nyo nagkaroon pa ng controversy lumobo ang unprogrammed appropriations, from 281 originally, bigla naging 731. Bakit tayo nagdagdag sa unprogrammed appropriations, eh standby appropriations yan. Pwede mo lang gamitin ang unprogrammed fund or appropriation pag una (In the Senate, they are unaware that there is AKAP as an item in the DSWD budget. That's where the controversy started. If you remember there was a controversy, the unprogrammed appropriations swelled, from 281 originally, suddenly to 731. Why did we add to the unprogrammed appropriations? That's standby appropriations,” he added.

With this, Lacson said it is clear then that the funds were to be utilized for the PI signature campaign.

“Kasi nga kung sino lang nakakaalam ng (pondo ng) AKAP, ‘yan lang pwede mag-access. Kung di mo alam, paano ka mag-access? (Precisely because whoever is are of the AKAP funds, they are the only ones who can have access to it. If you don’t know about it, how can you have access to it)?” the former senator explained.

Compared to other DWSD programs, he pointed out senators are knowledgeable about the Tulong Panghanapbuhay Sa Ating Disadvantaged / Displaced Workers or (TUPAD) program, and the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation or AICS.

“Katunayan sila mismo, at ito pa isa masamang practice lately, na mismong mga legislators na ang nagdi-distribute, namimigay ng pera sa mga tinatawag na beneficiary ng TUPAD, etc. (They are the ones, and this is another bad practice lately, that the legislators themselves are the ones who distribute, hand out money to the so-called beneficiaries of TUPAD, etc.),” he said.

To this, Lacson said it is imperative for congressmen and senators to stop getting involved in the distribution of any form of government financial assistance. 

“Illegal yan, bawal yan. Kasi ang papel ng Kongreso sa budget process, ang budget authorization, pag-legislate. Hindi pwede mag-implement (That is illegal, that’s prohibited. Because Congress’ role is only during the budget process, budget authorization and legislation. They are not allowed to interfere during the implementation),” Lacson stressed.