Lacson sees P135.8B more of rehashed items in 2021 budget; it can reach P500B

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / JAM STA ROSA

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday bared more “re-appropriations” involving infrastructure projects under the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, bringing the total amount of “questionable” funds to over P500 billion.

Upon further scrutiny, Lacson said he found 2,980 more items or P135.8 billion worth of projects under the proposed budget that have already been funded under the 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Earlier, Lacson initially discovered “re-appropriations” amounting to 73.5 billion.

He also flagged lump sum appropriations lodged under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) amounting to over P396.4 billion.

“We have found that the initial amount of P73.5 billion covering 2,933 items has now ballooned to P135.8 billion involving 5,913 projects, thus, effectively increasing the total questionable appropriations to P532.3 billion from the initial P469 billion that we exposed earlier, including lump sums in the amount of P396.4 billion,” Lacson said in a statement.

This means that 87 percent, or P532.3 billion, of the DPWH’s P613.7 billion proposed budget is “deemed questionable,” according to the senator.

“Having said all that, a legal question needs to be addressed as we progress in our plenary budget deliberations: Will this kind of ‘errata’ be allowed by the Senate, or Congress for that matter, if the items to be rectified do not involve simple typographical errors or other similar minor errors like interchanged or misplaced items in the [National Expenditure Program],” Lacson said.

“Therefore, if my colleagues will not allow such major rectification, we may see a 2021 GAA that is reduced by more than half a trillion pesos,” he added.

Lacson had earlier urged the DPWH, through the Department of Budget and Management, to submit to the Senate a revised list of items that is “devoid of lump sums or re-appropriated items.”

This, to prevent “some enterprising people” from realigning said funds, according to the senator.

JPV