Nat’l gov’t controls ARMM fund outlays
COTABATO CITY—The national government has virtually taken control over the financial resources of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in the absence of officers in charge (OICs) for the region.
Malacañang has yet to name the OICs even after the Supreme Court concurred with a legislated presidential power to appoint replacements of incumbent officials whose elective terms expired in October.
The fate of the ARMM hinges on a final ruling by the high tribunal. Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said governmental operations should not be stalled for long, even with a pending motion for reconsideration filed by petitioners opposed to the law that reset the regional election from September to May 2013.
Constituents transacting with the regional government are blaming a virtual Malacañang takeover for absenteeism by heads of offices. Only a handful of officials, including the executive secretary, are reporting for work, they say.
As early as October, the heads of offices have been rarely seen or appearing in public forums purportedly because they are now beholden to the Palace. The national government has already been giving instructions directly to them or to the local government units (LGUs) concerning funds through the national line agencies.
Stimulus fund
Explaining the frequent absences, Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo said regional secretaries were busy coordinating with national agencies on their programs of expenditures for an P 8.5-billion stimulus fund, intended mostly for infrastructure programs, including national roads, school buildings and health centers.
Both Sinarimbo and Ali Macabalang, the region’s information director, confirmed that partial releases of the stimulus funds by the Department of Budget and Management was being decided by a Cabinet cluster headed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Macabalang said a national decision to release the ARMM funds, either directly to the provincial LGUs or through regional agencies enjoying the confidence of their Manila counterparts, had effectively reinstated a national government control of the ARMM’s new financial resources.
Among other functions, the regional subsidiary offices serve as receiver and suballocator of national funds for payable obligations, including workers’ salaries and benefits, and mainly government programs implemented by the ARMM regional agencies and the LGUs.
Macabalang said absenteeism by most ARMM cabinet members had even fanned speculations that some of them might have turned their back on proper accountability of government resources.
But Sinarimbo promptly reiterated public assurance of a “complete accountability turnover report to the last centavo by the Adiong administration,” referring to the 606 days of tenure of Ansarudding Adiong as acting regional governor, from being vice governor.
Sinarimbo explained that an apparent rush by the national government to release the huge fund was crucial to a commitment to and compliance with the World Bank’s terms on the country’s stimulus loan package meant to improve rural infrastructure facilities and strengthen poverty reduction programs to instill economic investments.
Health program
Of nine regional secretaries whose agencies are involved in the implementation of the multibillion-peso program, however, only ARMM Health Secretary Kadil Sinolinding Jr. has publicly declared receiving P800 million of the P1.3 billion earmarked by the national health department as its share of the package.
The funds will be used to acquire additional medical equipment and health facilities for the region’s five integrated provincial health offices and rural health centers.
Sinolinding said his office was expecting the remaining balance of P500 million from the office of Health Secretary Enrique Ona as soon as the region’s health department completes next year the implementation of programs and projects corresponding to the first release.
A bulk of the funds will be released directly to the LGUs, depending on the recommendation of the DILG for urgency of local infrastructure programs.
