Palace won’t stop Senate move to delete P75 B add’l DPWH funding

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is not opposing the Senate’s move to delete the P75 billion additional fund for the 2019 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“That is the job of Congress to amend. If they did that, they’re doing their job,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Panelo said the Palace was not concerned that the budget cut would affect the infrastructure projects of the administration.

“I don’t think so. There are many ways [to source fundings for infrastructure projects]. The executive is very creative, as well as Congress,” he said.

He explained that the executive branch could later ask for a supplemental budget from Congress once the 2019 national budget is approved.

“Well, kung kulang, pwede namang mag-dagdag ng supplemental budget. Pwede naman ‘yun. Pwede lahat ‘yun kung gusto. Basta for the good of the country, dapat every branch of the government should cooperate,” he said.

On Monday, senators agreed to delete P75 billion in additional funding that was allegedly “inserted” into the DPWH budget.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said he and his fellow senators arrived at a consensus to remove the additional DPWH funding after Public Works Secretary Mark Villar admitted that he had no prior knowledge on the additional P75 billion.

But Panelo maintained Villar knew about it.

“Malamang he was misquoted. It cannot be that he had not prior knowledge kasi it was discussed in the Cabinet. That was a proposal. All of us were present. And all of us consented to that. Baka na-misquote siya,” he said. /je