MANILA, Philippines– Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II should watch out for Senator Ma. Lourdes “Nancy” Binay when he presents in the Senate his budget proposal for his office.
On Thursday, Binay told reporters that Roxas’ office, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), would be one of two departments of government that she would particularly look into when the 2014 proposed national budget reaches the Senate.
The other office, she said, would be the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and its conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.
“Kasi yun ang mga social services doon sa agency na yon (Because the social services are there in that agency),” Binay said of the DSWD.
“Kasama na siguro ang CCT saka DILG (Including maybe the CCT and DILG),” she added
Asked why she singled out the DILG, Binay said: “Kasi first of all, I’m used to local governments. My father and mother became mayor so it’s close to my heart.”
Her father is now Vice President Jejomar Binay and her mother is former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay.
Roxas ran and lost to Jejomar Binay in 2010 in the vice presidential race.
But Senator Binay quickly dispelled any political color in her interest to look into the budget of the DILG.
“Walang political color…Ang tagal pa ng 2016 (There is no political color. 2016 is still too far),” she said.
Senator Binay would be one of six senators who were expected to form the new minority bloc in the Senate when the 16th Congress opens on July 22.
After a luncheon meeting at the Vice President’s Office in Pasay City early this Thursday, the new group being headed by former Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile agreed to scrutinize the 2014 proposed national budget and vote as a bloc on certain issues.
Senator Binay said her father was also present in that meeting.
Aside from the budgets of DILG and DSWD, the younger Binay said she would also find out if the country’s so called “inclusive growth” has a trickledown effect.
“Titingnan ko lang, it’s been two years and walang trickledown effect,” she said.