MANILA, Philippines – Nakatakdang tanggalin ng Senado ang mahigit P51.8 bilyong “distinct” insertions na pawang kuwestiyonable sa panukalang 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) na isinumite ng Palasyo sa Kongreso.
Ayon kina Senador Panfilo Lacson at Senate Committee on Finance Chair Sherwin Gatchalian, makikipagtulungan sila sa Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) upang ilipat ang higit P51.82 bilyon na questionable “distinct” insertions sa panukalang 2026 national budget.
Pinuna ni Lacson ang lump-sum allocation na aniya’y malabo at potensyal na aabusuhin, sa ginanap na briefing ng Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).
Tinukoy ng senador na may ilang item na may multiple entries para sa flood management program sa Metro Manila at Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), at 3 (Central Luzon), na magkakapareho ang presyo ngunit walang espesipikong detalye ng proyekto.
“Sen. Gatchalian and I want to remove these vague entries in the NEP (National Expenditure Program). It seems those who inserted these items plan to make them ghost projects. We could not identify who inserted them,” ani Lacson.
Dagdag pa niya, layunin ng paglilipat ng pondo na suportahan ang mga priority program alinsunod sa Philippine Medium-Term Development Plan.
“When we amend the budget bill, we intend to realign these items… so our amendments will be aligned with the direction that the national government wants to take,” aniya.
Ilan sa nakitang item na puwedeng abusuhin sa bicameral conference committee ay ang P152 bilyong insertions na kinaltas sa pondo ng edukasyon at kalusugan, 88 items na magkakapareho ang presyo na aabot sa P50 milyon kada isa (P13.2 bilyon), 373 items na tig-P100 milyon bawat isa (P37.3 bilyon), at 11 items na tig-P120 milyon bawat isa (P1.32 bilyon).
“Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, who was present at the DBCC hearing Tuesday, agreed to coordinate with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on the realignment, following Lacson’s call for executive sessions to determine which projects should receive funding,” dagdag pa ni Lacson.
Sa kanyang privilege speech noong Agosto 20, ipinakita ni Lacson ang ilang paulit-ulit na alokasyon na may parehong halaga bilang “distinct,” isang coded budget system na aniya’y nagsisilbing senyales sa may-ari ng proyekto kaya nagkakaroon ng ghost projects.
“When contractors invade Congress and lawmakers invade the construction business, this is the outcome,” babala ni Lacson, at idinagdag pa na “vague insertions hit Filipinos with a ‘quadruple whammy’ as they appear in the NEP, the House and Senate versions of the budget, and in the bicameral conference committee.” Ernie Reyes
