MANILA, Philippines — Even as the Senate’s budget deliberations are yet to begin, Senator Panfilo Lacson has already flagged “hundreds of millions” of “questionable” and possibly redundant appropriations under the proposed P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, Lacson said he will seek clarification from budget officials when the upper chamber starts discussions on the proposed national budget for next year.
“May nakita na kami na mga questionable and we want it clarified,” he said.
(We saw some questionable appropriations and we want it clarified.)
“Itatanong ko, para ma-clarify nila, gusto kong malaman, baka meron akong na-miss na hindi ko alam, so tatanungin natin sa kanila ‘yun,” he added.
(I will ask them to clarify this, I want to know, maybe I missed something, so I will ask them.)
According to Lacson, there are appropriations for infrastructure projects under the proposed 2021 national budget that have already been included in the 2020 national budget.
“Maraming mga infra na nandun na sa 2020 budget, eh nandito na naman sa 2021 budget. Papaanong nangyari ‘yun kung walang discontinuance. Bakit napondohan na sa 2020 under the present or the current budget, bakit humihingi na naman ng pondo. Parehong-parehong budget kasi ‘yung technical description talagang pareho,” Lacson said.
(There are appropriations for a lot of infrastructure projects that are already included in the 2020 budget before and now they have been incorporated in the 2021 proposed budget. How can that happen when those projects were not discontinued. Why is it that funding has already been appropriated to these projects under the present budget but they are asking for funding again? The same budget, even the technical description of the budget is the same.)
“Bakit popondohan mo ulit eh may pondo na ‘yun. So to me, that’s a big issue kasi baka double appropriations ‘yung kalabasan nito,” he added.
(Why fund it again when funding for it has already been appropriated before. So to me, that’s a big u
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted to the Senate and the House of Representatives the executive department’s proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021.
This is 9.9 percent bigger than the 2020 budget.