Energy funds eyed for 2022 war chest, lawmaker claims

Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza (Photo by KATRINA HALLARE / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — There is a “powerful lobby” in the House of Representatives to exempt the state-owned Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) from budget and procurement checks that may result in the use of the company’s funds in the 2022 elections, Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza said on Sunday.

“We are gravely worried that freeing PNOC’s spending program from congressional scrutiny and allowing the company to conveniently negotiate the purchase of goods and services might lead to the potential misuse of energy funds in next year’s elections,” Atienza said in a statement.

He did not identify who were involved in the supposed lobby, but his statement mentioned House Bill No. 8762, authored by Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo.

Under the proposed bill, the PNOC will be “exempted from the requirements of public bidding in procuring goods and services directly related in operating its business” and will also be exempted “from submitting its annual budget to Congress for approval.”

Atienza called on his colleagues to reject HB 8762, which seeks to free PNOC from complying with government procurement laws.

“We urge our colleagues to throw out House Bill No. 8762, which emasculates the congressional power of the purse,” he said.

“We maintain that only Congress has the power to authorize all spending of public money by the national government and its attached agencies as well as corporations,” he added.

Sought for his comment, Arroyo, chair of the House committee on energy, did not directly answer the issues raised by Atienza but he told the Inquirer on Viber that the bill “is not one of the many priorities of the committee.”

Atienza said the PNOC, which remitted P7 billion in cash dividends to the National Treasury in 2020, was an attached agency of the Department of Energy, headed by Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who is also vice chair of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Cusi, he said, seemed to be the “one most keenly engaged in partisan political activities” and even presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier admitted that President Duterte directed Cusi to call party caucuses meant to promote the presidential aspirations of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, daughter of the President.

The PDP-Laban faction, led by Cusi, has also been publicly urging Mr. Duterte to run for Vice President in the 2022 elections.

Atienza noted that Cusi, who never won an election, had been picking fights with Sen. Manny Pacquiao, the PDP-Laban president, who has “signified” his intention to run for president in 2022.