Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Monday, September 16 urged the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release the P126-million worth of mandatory contribution remittances of various government agencies for the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB).
Dela Rosa said the DBM is practically violating the law with its failure to remit the correct amount of the agencies’ contribution to the DDB. This special provision, he pointed out, is mandated under the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
The DBM, according to Undersecetary Earl Saavedra only remitted P77-million for this year.
“That is just a very small amount, why should it be denied to the DDB?” Dela Rosa said during the Senate finance subcommittee hearing on the budget of the DDB and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
“We are making a law but the DBM does not want to follow it. They are the ones violating the law,” the senator said in Filipino during the hearing.
According to DDB Undersecretary Earl Saavedra, the P126-million were the result of a combined contribution from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Metro Manila Turf Club, DDB’s collection from licenses, certifications, exemptions and from fines and penalties.
Saavedra said PAGCOR contributed P60-million; PCSO, P42.2-million; the Metro Manila Turf Club, P1.2-million; and the DDB’s collection amounted to to P22.5 million, while the amount from fines and penalties reached P846 thousands.
But according to Saavedra, the DBM told them that if the collection is more than P77-million, the excess contributed funds would be earmarked to make
“Our confusion was that the amount released to the DDB was P77-million but the difference was the total collection. We were told that the P77-million will be prepositioned for this year. But our argument was that the need was for last year,” Saavedra said.
“We definitely need the resources to fulfill, not just our commitment, but the mandate of the agency,” he said.
Dela Rosa insisted it is imperative for the DBM to fully follow the law and release the total contributed fund to the DDB.
“Otherwise, let's not have a budget hearing here if you (DBM) don't want to follow what Congress is doing,” the senator said.
Maricel Dizon, DBM Supervising Budget and Management Specialist, however said that while the agency supports the request for increase, the DDB did not present a budget proposal for the increase of the P77-million.
“That’s why we were not able to increase that special fund this coming 2025 budget,” Dizon said.
But Saavedra said they did not propose any amount because they couldn’t anticipate how much was the total collection.
“What if we requested for a higher amount and it is short on the collection? What if we requested for a smaller amount and yet the collection was actually higher?” he pointed out.
Dela Rosa, then, suggested that the DDB and DBM discuss the matter and thresh out the issue. Both agencies agreed to do so.
The DDB is asking for a budget of P504.3-million or a 20.82 percent increase from its P417.4-million in 2024.