DBM submits ‘errata’ to 2015 national budget

DBM. Screengrab from https://www.dbm.gov.ph/

MANILA, Philippines–The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has submitted 100 pages of corrections to the proposed P2.6-trillion 2015 national budget that was approved on second reading by the House of Representatives last week.

Leaders of the House appropriations committee, however, would not comment on the nature of the errata, saying they had not read them.

Appropriations committee chair Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab Jr. said a panel had been tasked to subject the corrections to a “thorough and meticulous review.”

He clarified that the errata submitted by the DBM had not been formally and officially filed at the time of the approval of the proposed General Appropriations Act of 2015.

“It’s a 100-page document but I don’t know about the contents,” appropriations committee vice chair Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone told a press conference. He said he too did not have a copy.

Minority lawmakers earlier cried foul over the proposed changes, which they characterized as “midnight insertions” by the executive branch to circumvent the congressional oversight over the national budget.

Ungab, however, said the committee would ensure that any amendments to the 2015 budget “shall be in accordance with laws, rules and prevailing jurisprudence and decisions of the Supreme Court on these matters.”

Evardone said he found nothing suspicious about the submission of the errata, as this was a common practice in past Congresses.

“Actually, it only got highlighted because it’s a hot issue. But in past budgetary processes, that was the practice… It’s only a hot issue now because of the Supreme Court decision on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP),” he said.

But Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares objected to the DBM’s submission of the errata, surmising they included a “redefinition” or “reprioritization” of savings in a number of budget items.

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Department of Budget and Management (DBM)