If he wins, Pacquiao says will review gov’t contracts covering Duterte, Aquino admins

Presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao talks to reporters here in Cebu City, saying he would focus on his campaign in the last stretch before the May 9 polls.

CEBU CITY — If he wins the May 9 elections, presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao on Friday reiterated his plan to review government contracts as far back as 10 years ago, covering the administrations of Presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Benigno S. Aquino III.

Pacquiao earlier bared this plan to see whether there were anomalous or disadvantageous deals entered into by the government in the wake of the burgeoning national debt that has now reached a new high of P12.68 trillion in March.

The senator questioned how the national debt had ballooned to such an amount in only one administration from the previous P6 trillion in previous governments.

“Amazing for one admin na ang utang natin umabot ng P12 trillion galing sa P6 trillion. Nagtaka lang ako bakit lumobo ang utang natin na umabot ng P12 trillion,” Pacquiao said in a press briefing here.

“Pagpalagay mo na may pandemya, utang tayo nang utang. Ilang trillon ang inutang natin, ipagpalagay mo na lang P3 trillion, kung P3 trillion ‘yung inutang natin para sa pandemya, bakit panghuli pa tayo pagdating sa COVID-19 response?” he added.

The senator said he would order a review to check where the massive loans of the government went.

This would be in line of his vow to drive out corruption in the government.

“Lahat. Iaaudit ko 10 years backward. Para malaman lang nila. Unang resolution, executive order na pipirmahan ko i-review lahat ng kontrata ng ating gobyerno,” Pacquiao said.

(All contracts dating back 10 years, I will order it to be audited. It will be the first order I will sign if I win as president.)

“‘Yung Executive Order 001, i-review lahat ng  kontrata ng gobyerno. Tingnan ko kung may nagsasamantala diyan o wala,” he added.

(My first executive order, Order 001, I will order the review of all government contracts. Let’s see if anyone would dare be corrupt.)

Pacquiao said that if he wins as president, he will avoid having loans and instead focus on the government’s revenue income to use of projects and programs.

“Sa ating administrasyon, pagdating ng panahon, ang talagang tutukan natin, iiwasan natin yung mangutang tayo nang mangutang. Ang tutukan natin yung revenue income ng ating gobyerno. Palakasin natin ‘yun, hindi lang sa taxes, kundi sa other sources of income, yung non-tax revenue,” he said.

He said he is concerned over the rising deficit of the government in its budget even though he observed that there is not much development and improvement in its services.

“Ako concerned talaga ako kasi ang laki ng deficit natin taun taon eh. Palaki nang palaki, palobo nang palobo yung inuutang natin. Ang taumbayan nababaon and yet wala tayong nakitng devt and improvement. Ang sambayanang Pilipino, nagugutom,” th senator said.

“Naiinis lang talaga ako dahil for the longest time, bilyon bilyon ang binabudget natin, ginagasta ng bansa natin and yet ang mga tao lalong naghirap. Nasan na yung pera na yun?“ he said.

(I am angry because for the longest time, we have a budget of billions and billions but the people are suffering. Where is that money?)

Inflation

As the country’s inflation rate rose to 4.9% in April, Pacquiao urged the government to focus on the country’s “production, distribution, and consumption” to mitigate the rising prices of basic goods and commodities.

“Dapat doon nakatutok para wala tayong shortage especially sa pagkain sa mga basic commodities, para hindi magmamahal lahat ng mga bilihin. Magmumura, pababain natin ang presyo ng mga bilihin lahat, he said.

(We should focus on that so that we won’t have any shortage of food and basic commodities so that prices would decrease.)

He also proposed to strengthen other sources of income of the government, particularly its non-tax revenue.

“Kailangan palakasin natin yung non-tax revenue income dahil ‘yun ang tutulong, magpupuno doon sa kulang na budget at inaapprove nating gastusin taun taon,” the senator said.

(We need to strengthen our non-tax revenue income because that would help fill the gaps in our budget and expenses every year.)

RELATED STORY:

Pacquiao to order review of gov’t contracts if elected president