Senate body OKs P14.6-B extra budget for disaster rehab works

Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA,  Philippines – The Senate  committee on finance committee on Thursday  approved  a P14.6-billion supplemental  budget  for 2013 for rehabilitation, repair, and construction works and activities  in areas hit by recent calamities such as Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”

Senate President  Franklin Drilon himself  moved for the approval of Senate Bill 1938, which he filed.

In his bill, Drilon proposed for a P14.5-billion supplemental budget,  but Deputy National Treasurer Christine  Sanchez informed the committee  that the available fund of the office was  P14.6 billion.

The  additional  appropriation, under  the bill,  will be sourced from this year’s  unspent  Priority Development  Assistance Fund (PDAF)  known as “pork barrel” funds of  lawmakers.

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

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.

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