DILG’s P223-B proposed budget for 2019 stalls at House committee

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año answers questions from lawmakers during the department’s budget hearing at the House of Representatives. (Photo from Gabriel Pabico Lalu)

After over six hours of discussions at the House of Representatives, the proposed P223-billion budget of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for 2019 has remained unapproved.

House Committee on Appropriations vice chairperson Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Luisa Cuaresma moved to “terminate” Wednesday’s hearing without passing DILG’s proposed budget and said the panel will just coordinate with DILG officials and its attached agencies the pre-plenary and plenary hearing schedules on the matter.

“We’ll try to reach you out, Mr. Secretary (Eduardo Año), with the schedule of our pre-plenary, and our schedule to present the budget of DILG in the plenary,” Cuaresma said.

“Kung wala si Secretary, nandyan ‘yong Chief PNP (Philippine National Police), kung nandyan si Chief PNP, wala si Secretary,” she lamented.

At the start of the budget hearing, Año and PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde were present. However, Albayalde had to leave early for Sultan Kudarat, where a bombing took place on Tuesday night, leaving two people dead and at least 30 others wounded.

While scrutinizing the department’s proposed budget, lawmakers also asked DILG and PNP resource persons about issues such as police recruitment, procurement of various equipment and mobile units, and the war against illegal drugs, DILG’s federalism drive, and campaign against insurgents, among others.

The DILG’s proposed budget entails an increase of P53.2 billion, which is a 31% increase from its 2018 budget of P170 billion.   /kga