Senator Grace Poe on Monday urged Malacañang’s communications department to justify its proposed budget for next year.
Poe made the call as several government agencies would get cuts in their 2019 budget, but the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and its attached agencies would get P1.4 million higher than its 2018 budget.
“Several agencies are getting deep cuts in their budget in the proposed appropriations for 2019: DA (from P61 billion to P55 billion); DSWD (from P141.8 billion to P136.6 billion); DepEd (from P553 billion to P498 billion); and DOH (from P107 billion to P71 billion). This is happening at a time when hunger incidence and food prices are soaring. While these agencies will suffer a slash, the PCOO will be gifted by a P100-million raise,” Poe said in a statement.
The senator also said the PCOO “must justify its budget increase” now that the country is being affected by the soaring inflation.
“What are the deliverables? Are memes and blogs also hit by inflationary spikes? Is the cost of feeding the nation with government information adversely affected by TRAIN, too? Will the PCOO be hiring campaigners to explain federalism?” Poe asked the PCOO.
“The obliterated amount from some agencies will hit hard the people, who badly need social services. What will sustain them are education, affordable food, health services and social assistance, not gaffes and reckless communication campaigns.” she added. /ee
READ: PCOO asks for higher budget of P1.41-B for 2019