Senate body tackles P14.5-B ‘Yolanda’ rehabilitation budget

Sen. Francis Escudero, chair of Senate finance committee. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Senate  committee on finance began  deliberations Thursday on the proposed P14.5 billion  2013 supplemental  budget   for  rehabilitation, repair, and construction works and activities  in areas hit by recent calamities such as super typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan).

Present  at the hearing  of the  committee being headed  by   Senator   Francis “Chiz”  Escudero were  Budget  Secretary  Florencio Abad, Undersecretary Eduardo del Rosario, administrator of the Office of Civil Defense and other  officials from the  Department of National Defense National Treasury,  Department of Budget and Management and   Department  of Social Welfare and Development.

Senate President  Franklin Drilon,  who initiated the  measure,  proposed  that the  supplemental budget be sourced from this year’s  unspent  Priority Development  Assistance Fund  known as “pork barrel” funds of  lawmakers .

The said fund was recently declared as unconstitutional by  the Supreme Court.

While Drilon only proposed P14.5 billion, Deputy National Treasurer Christine  Sanchez informed the committee  that the available  fund  of the office was  P14.6 billion.

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