Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. (Alex Nueva España/ Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — After supposedly learning that at least P80 billion in congressional realignments were taken from some of the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” projects, Senator Panfilo Lacson revealed that the government had decided to withhold the release of the said funds.
Citing a reliable source, Lacson told INQUIRER.net in a message that the Department of Budget Management (DBM), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Malacañang “learned that the realignments made [were] taken from some flagship projects under the build build build program of the government, which they feel is a bit too much.”
“Hence, instead of exercising the President’s veto power over the line items which could delay the approval of the 2020 GAA [General Appropriations Act], they decided to just withhold the release of the funds by way of a DBM circular that they now call, ‘FOR LATER RELEASE’ which has the same effect of a veto,” he added.
It was Lacson who earlier bared that last-minute insertions were allegedly made by the House of Representatives (HOR) before the congressional bicameral conference committee signed the 2020 budget in December last year.
He said then that the alleged House insertions could reach at least P83-billion worth of projects.
“If you recall, it is the same [P83 billion] that was in the USB containing two files that the HOR sent to LBRMO [Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office] and submitted to my office before the bicam would convene to sign the bicam report,” Lacson said.
“I asked that the Senate bicam panel of which I was a member be informed beforehand since I wanted to see first what I was signing in the bicam report,” he added.
Lacson, in a separate statement, welcomed this supposed decision of the government to withhold the release of the at least P80 billion in congressional realignments.
“Unmitigated gall. This best describes some lawmakers who tried to realign at least P80 billion from the administration’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ flagship program to their districts’ ‘pet projects’ under the 2020 national budget,” the senator said.
“Thus, I support the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte and the Department of Budget and Management to withhold the release of these congressional realignments,” he added.
Lacson said this was one of the reasons he continues to support the President’s leadership “in spite of some disagreements with him over some policy issues.”
“He has time and again displayed the strong political will, even against many self-proclaimed allies in Congress whose loyalty clearly lies where the money lies,” he said.
Wary of ‘allies’
Lacson then cautioned the President to “always be wary of these so-called allies.”
“Such ‘allies’ have the propensity to praise him to high heavens and never criticize him, but with self-aggrandizement and greed as their only motivation and nothing else,” he added.