Chiz assures 2015 nat'l budget will follow DAP ruling

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Francis Escudero on Thursday assured that the Senate will make sure that the P2.606-trillion 2015 national budget will comply with the recent Supreme Court ruling that disallows the use of government savings without congressional approval.

“Again, I will make sure that the budget will be compliant on the decision of the Court. And we will not pass a law that is not compliant with it,” Escudero said, noting that the SC’s decision is based on the Constitution.

“The SC interprets the Constitution and the law. 'Pag sinabi ng SC na bawal 'yan under the Constitution, no laws can be passed about it pero kapag sinabi ng korte na walang batas na nagsasabi ng ganyan pwedeng magpasa ang Congress para punuan yung pagkukulang,” the senator added.

Escudero, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the chamber will be guided by the four issues raised in the SC decision on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

These issues include: whether the budget would comply with the definition of savings, there should be item in budget, not to get allocation from unprogrammed funds, and that there would be no cross-border allocations.

Escudero added that the Senate aims to conduct hearings after the House of Representatives started its own on the proposed 2015 budget.

Under the law, all government appropriations must originate from the House of Representatives.

Redefining savings

Escudero also supported moves that would pave way for Congress to redefine “savings” under the budget to comply with the SC decision.

“We will define kung kailan lang sila pwedeng gumamit ng savings, saan at paano, in accordance with the decision of the court,” Escudero said.

However, Sen. Nancy Binay frowned at efforts to redefine savings through a joint resolution.

"How can you legalize DAP when unang una ‘yung isang issue doon ay cross-border. So, if we legalize the DAP we would need to change the Constitution since cross-border is not allowed. I don’t know how we can legalize it," she said.

Binay vowed to look into the specific details of the budget which has been submitted by the Department of Budget Management (DBM) to the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

"After what happened with the DAP, we should be more particular in scrutinizing the budget," she said, noting that about P14-billion appropriated by Congress for the projects at the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) were not pursued, and the amounts eventually went to the controversial program fund.

Meanwhile, Escudero said that the Senate will look into the reported P700 billion lump sum appropriation for the office of President Aquino in the proposed national budget.

He acknowledged, however, that the government should also be given some leeway for lump sum appropriations especially when it comes to disbursing funds for emergency purposes.

“We always scrutinize lump sum. Kaya lang hindi pupuwede zero lump sum talaga. Kailangan merong flexibility ang government specially when it comes to calamity funds and quick response funds,” Escudero said.

“Paano naman natin malaman 'yun kalye or building na masisira, paano natin malalamang kung ano yun need ka kailangan at a particular time depending on the calamity that will hit us. Dapat may ganun flexibility ang government,” he added.

Drilon bats for transparency

Senate President Franklin Drilon also assured that the Senate will no longer allow any pork barrel allocations in the proposed 2015 budget. “We will make it transparent through line-item budgeting."

Drilon noted, however, that it is difficult to itemize calamity funds, which is under the special purpose funds. "Who'd know when and how many storms will hit the country."

“The lump sum appropriations should be looked into… if these funds will mean the calamity funds… we ask our critics how we can define calamity funds,” Drilon said in a radio interview.