‘Whimsical’ pet projects lead to waste of funds – Lacson

The lack of consultations with local development councils (LDCs) and “whimsical” fund allocations by lawmakers for their graft-ridden pet projects have contributed to the wastage of hundreds of billions in public funds because of unfinished or suspended projects, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

“It’s bad enough that we lose a lot to corruption but it’s worse that we may be losing more due to incompetence and lack of preparation,” said Lacson, the antipork crusader in the Senate.

Citing data from the Commission on Audit, Lacson earlier disclosed that at least P583 billion in government funds had been spent on wasteful projects in 2017. The figure does not include the billions of pesos in kickbacks that lawmakers pocket when they implement their pet projects.

The wasteful projects that Lacson was referring to were either suspended, stopped or subjected to litigation for being irregular, unnecessary,  extravagant or unconscionable.

Such projects would not have come about had officials stuck to the proper budgeting process, which includes consulting local officials who would know what their areas need, according to Lacson.

Budget process

The Development Budget Coordination Committee and the Congress should follow the national budgeting process and observe the provisions of the local government code to prevent the “disconnect between the needs and priorities of the local government units and the budget law crafted by national agencies,” he said.

“Problem is, there is very little consultation if at all with the LDCs who prepare their respective local development plans, which are consolidated at the level of the [Regional Development Councils], hence what is appropriated for projects, activities and programs is not responsive to the needs of the people,” he added.

Lacson also denounced the practice of some legislators to provide funds for their pet projects without checking if the implementing agencies could handle these.

“Worse, when legislators whimsically realign allocations to their pet projects, which are supposed to have been discussed in the LDCs where they are members in the first place, the implementing agencies do not have the capacity to absorb the funds,” he said.

Right of way problems

Lacson said he planned to question proposed infrastructure projects with right of way problems in the proposed 2019 national budget.

Most of these projects, he said, only had at most a 10-percent accomplishment rate.

“I will show agency heads illustrative samples of those projects. They will have to explain,” he added.