Santiago questions motive behind ‘ridiculous’ supplemental budget

By: Maila Ager - 10 years ago

Video by INQUIRER.net’s Ryan Leagogo

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago suspects that the proposed P22.5 billion supplemental budget was a “cover-up” of the administration “to go around” the Supreme Court’s decision declaring parts of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Santiago said there was no need for the supplemental budget since Congress is scheduled to approve the 2015 national budget before the year ends.

She also disclosed that from 2011 to 2014, the government’s underspending reached some P594 billion.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net

“Why are we being rushed so fast for matters that need utmost deliberations? In the first place, the supplemental budget should not be taken carelessly. It should be thought out. It should be reserved, it should be held as a power in reserve. For example if there’s a dire natural disaster and the infrastructure of the country is threatened, maybe we can pull out a supplemental budget,” she said during a press conference in Makati City on Friday.

“But as it is, pardon my French, I think this budget is ridiculous because there is only some two weeks left before the new budget begins. So why do you want a supplemental budget when the new one is about to start? The new one has not even started, you already want to supplement it? What’s the meaning if this?” Santiago asked.

The senator then said she suspects that the supplemental budget, which was already approved by a panel of the House of Representatives, was just a “roundabout way for the administration to gain the approval of the Supreme Court on what it already ruled as unconstitutional.”

“That’s why they are now bringing out, trotting out a supplemental budget, which is normally not done unless as I said in cases of severe rarity. What It could not do during the litigation of DAP, it now seeks to do under the supplemental budget,” she pointed out.

But Santiago insisted there was no longer need for the supplemental budget because aside from the proposed P2.6 trillion budget for 2015, the government can utilize its unused P594 billion for the past three years.

“Our budget for 2015 is P2.6 trillion, but if you ask an expert to look at our budget, maybe from 2011 to 2014, I think you will get them to agree with me that we’ve been under spending in the amount of some P594 billion. We’ve been underspending. Our absorptive capacity has been short, and that’s why we don’t have enough job and enough power of money in society to help lift the economy.”

“So if that’s the case, if in just two more weeks we’ll have by the start of the year available P2.6 trillion and we underspent by P594 billion, then why are we asking for P22.5 billion more? There’s no necessity for it except to cover up what I think is pernicious effort to go around the decision of the Supreme Court that held the DAP unconstitutional,” the senator added.

On Thursday, Kabataan party-list Representative Terry Ridon questioned a number of items in the supplemental budget, which he considered to be “repeats” of those already funded under the 2014 and 2015 budgets.