Gatchalian says unprogrammed funds a ‘pork barrel’

Senate committee on finance chair, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian —HENZBERG AUSTRIA/SENATE PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — For Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the unprogrammed funds in national budgets could be considered as pork barrel.

“I used the term ‘pork barrel’ because once the unprogrammed funds get submitted, it has no details.”

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate committee on finance, said in an interview on Friday.

Gatchalian raised concerns that this could compromise transparency, prompting him to say that the country needs to eliminate unprogrammed funds.

READ: Lacson: Villanueva, Estrada still under scrutiny in insertion probe

Unlike items listed in the programmed appropriations, which have definite sources of funding and can be implemented readily, unprogrammed appropriations do not have definite funding sources, and are only on standby, released only when the national government collects excess revenues against targets, revenues from new taxes or sale of government assets, or approved loans for foreign-assisted projects.

READ: Lacson confirms P600M budget ‘insertion’ for Bulacan flood control

“Well, first of all, this unprogrammed lacks transparency or has almost no transparency … So my proposal is to remove all unprogrammed, just put it in the programmed so we can see,” Gatchalian said.

“The unprogrammed only comes out if there is an excess or additional revenue, so it is not yet certain if there is an excess or additional revenue, so it is better to just use the programmed one to better manage our deficit, and it is more transparent,” he added.

Gatchalian also noted that the unprogrammed funds are being used to fund flood control projects.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Thursday confirmed the existence of a P600 million fund for Bulacan flood control projects in the 2023 unprogrammed budget.

Lacson said he counted the insertions, noting “seven or eight items” worth P75 million each, totaling P600 million. This alleged insertion was earlier linked by Brice Hernandez, a former assistant district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan, to Sen. Joel Villanueva, who vehemently denied such accusations.

Asked to react to this latest development, Gatchalian said: “Well, it is under unprogrammed [budget] but it is not yet very clear to me its connection to Senator Joel.”

An upcoming big tent anti-corruption rally in Luneta Park and other areas in Metro Manila in September 21 was sparked by a major corruption scandal involving flood control projects that has prompted intense House and Senate probe and the creation of an independent commission to look into suspected collusion of politicians, contractors, and DPWH, to embezzle billions of pesos.

This protest action was reminiscent of the 2013 Million People March over the scam involving Priority Development Assistance Fund, widely regarded as pork barrel. /cb