MANILA, Philippines — Members of the House of Representatives may have been allotted P60 million each from the controversial P75-billion “insertion” in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH).
Senator Panfilo Lacson raised this suspicion on Tuesday, a day after he moved for the deletion of the P75 billion added to the DPWH budget without the agency’s knowledge.
DPWH Secretary Mark Villar earlier admitted that he only found out about the “insertion” when he saw the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
READ: Mark Villar denies knowledge of P75-B DPWH budget ‘insertions’
Lacson said the DPWH is still in the “process of validating” where the additional budget would be earmarked.
“But right now, ako for one, I’m already suspecting at least yung big chunk of the P75 billion kung saan napunta, ito na nga yung sinasabi nating P51.7B na yung P20B chinop-chop chop nila into P60M per congressman,” he said in an interview at the Senate.
The P51 billion refers to the amount cited in the initial report of the alleged “insertion” in the DPWH’s budget.
But Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said during the Question Hour at the House last December that the adjustment was actually P75 billion, not P51 billion.
READ: Infra ‘insertions’ in 2019 budget P75B, not P51.8B — Diokno
Lacson said the remaining P31 billion of the P51 billion might have been allotted to farm-to-market roads of the 2nd legislative district of Pampanga and Camarines Sur.
“Yan ang P31B. May breakdown kami (That’s the P31B. We have a breakdown) and I am going to present it tomorrow when I resume my interpellation,” he said.
“So hindi pa validated kung P51.7B na yun, part ng P75B (So it’s not yet validated if the P51 billion is part of the P75 billion). We’re still validating it.”
“I only suspect that because when they changed leadership sa House, tinanggal nila yun from the previous leadership and allies nila nilipat naman nila dun sa bagong allies ng bagong Speaker,” Lacson pointed out.
( I only suspect that because when they changed leadership at the House, they removed that from the previous leadership and allies, and they transferred it to the allies of the new speaker.)
He said the DPWH has yet to provide the Senate a list of items under the P75 billion incremental increase.
“They have not responded because they are still in the process of validating,” he said.
Asked if there were congressmen who were lobbying not to delete the P75 billion extra budget, Lacson said: “Wala pa naman. Pag may nag-lobby, sila na yung meron nun (None. If they lobby for it then they have it).” /ee