Budget insertions bypassed panel process, Ungab confirms

MANILA, Philippines — Some insertions made by lawmakers in the P4.1-trillion 2020 national budget did not pass through the House appropriations committee, the panel’s ousted chairperson confirmed Thursday.

Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab, who was removed from his committee chairmanship last Monday, said the insertions were made during the bicameral conference committee hearing (bicam).

He did not specify the amount of the insertions.

“Yes, I confirm there were that did not pass through the process of the Committee of appropriations. These are projects inserted during the hearing bicameral conference committee,” Ungab told reporters in a text message.

Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier revealed that at least P80-billion worth of congressional realignments were taken from some of the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” projects.

READ: Gov’t withholds release of at least P80B in congressional realignments — Lacson

This prompted the government to withhold the release of the funds.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), which confirmed Lacson’s statement, also said the P80-billion worth of funds could still be released provided that these would undergo a review and there are projects ready for rollout.

READ: DBM to review legislators’ P80-B budget realignment

This directive of the DBM, coupled with President Duterte’s Affirmation Message, will “safeguard public funds and to ensure accountability of the project implementors,” Ungab assured.

Issues concerning budget insertions were spurred after Oriental Mindoro Rep. Paulino Salvador Leachon accused Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte of inserting funds in the 2020 national budget even after the bicam has approved the budget.

Villafuerte allegedly made “pork insertions” worth P6-billion which include the construction of phase one of the Camarines Sur Iconic Capitol Building and the Capitol Complex Sports and Convention Center in Pili town.

He made the revelation after he was removed as member of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET).

READ: Villafuerte inserted funds in 2020 national budget after bicam – Leachon

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano challenged Leachon to prove his allegations, otherwise, he will be sued.

He took a swipe at Leachon and his camp for making budget-related allegations while he did not disclose that his budget was also hiked by P1.2 billion.

“For the last three months, sinasabi ni Doy Leachon at mga kasama niya, ‘lahat ng pondo napunta kay LRay (Villafuerte), nabawasan kayo’, hindi naman niya sinabi na siya nadagdagan ng P1.2 billion. Tapos ngayon sasabihin niya after the bicam, we’ve been hearing that,” Cayetano said in an interview on Wednesday.

Cayetano added that the allocation for Ungab was also increased significantly.

READ: Cayetano dares Leachon: Prove budget insertion after bicam or get sued