Solon: Remove, suspend corrupt execs instead of slashing, scrapping agency budgets

MANILA, Philippines — Corrupt government officials and personnel should be removed or suspended from their posts instead of having the budgets of their agencies slashed or scrapped, Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon said Friday.

Biazon made the remark after House appropriations chairperson Eric Yap said he will propose to the bicameral conference committee cutting—or even scrapping—the budget of government agencies that are proven to be engaged in corrupt activities.

“As chairman, syempre prerogative ni Chair Yap ‘yung ganun na position. Sa akin naman, yung mga agencies na mayroong identified na persons involved in corruption, then let those persons be answerable either ‘yung persons na ‘yan ang i-cut off from the agency, tanggalin sa ahensya whether by dismissal, suspension or transfer,” Biazon, who is the vice-chairperson of the House appropriations committee, said in an online forum.

(As chairman, it is Chairman Yap’s prerogative to have that position. For me, those involved in corruption in their agencies should be the ones answerable either by having them removed from the agency by dismissal, suspension, or transfer.)

“Because corruption happens when it is done by the personality, not just by the agency per se,” he added.

According to Biazon, those involved in corrupt practices in their respective agencies should be the ones to suffer the penalty of their actions.

He said a budget cut in an agency would only result in a “cut in its performance,” which would affect the public who would have benefited from their programs.

“For example, what if [it is] the [Department of Health] that has issues of corruption, kung bawasan natin yung budget ng (if we will cut the budget) DOH at this time of a pandemic, will it be helpful to the Filipino people?” Biazon said.

“Or would it be better if we identify or pinpoint the persons or officials in the department and sila ang sibakin or sila ang habulin? ‘Yun ang siguro ang issue that would come to my mind kapag sinabi nating budget cuts to the agency,” he added.

(Or would it be better if we identify or pinpoint the persons or officials in the department and have them dismissed? That is the issue that would come to my mind when we say budget cuts to the agency.)

In an interview with reporters on Thursday, Yap said his committee will have its own investigation of various government agencies after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct a government-wide probe amid allegations of corruption.

Yap said the appropriation committee’s investigation will be conducted before the bicameral conference committee—made up of representatives from the House and the Senate—meet to smoothen the proposed national budget for 2021.

“Meron kaming oversight functions as appropriations chair na siguraduhing yung mga pondong binibigay natin sa kanila, nagagamit sa tama, hindi sa corruption,” Yap said.

(We have oversight functions as appropriations chair and we have to make sure that the funds we give them are being used properly and not for corruption.)

“We will conduct our own investigation sa ngayon. And then kung mapapatunayan natin yung mga agencies na involved sa corruption, pagdating sa bicam ay talagang isu-suggest ko sa Senate at as ibang kasamahan ko sa Congress, tanggalan ng budget itong agency na ito dahil punong-puno ng corruption, ilipat sa agencies na mas nangangailangan,” he added.

(We will conduct our own investigation for now. And then I will suggest to the bicam that we scrap or cut the budget of these agencies that are involved in corruption and use them for other departments that need it more.)

/MUF