Bongbong questions Mar's 'multiplicity'

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos on Monday night questioned the apparent multiplicity of functions of Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas, who is also involved in the relocation of informal settler families in Metro Manila.

The senator also asked why Roxas is empowered to implement irrigation projects which should have been better left with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago early on pointed out that the functions should be left with the National Irrigation Authority (NIA).

During his turn to scrutinize the agency's   budget,  Marcos asked the Department of Interior and Locl Government (DILG) to explain where it spent the billions of pesos given to it for low cost housing projects in 2014.

Under the local government code, Marcos argued that the DILG is empowered to supervise local government units, and not build houses or manage low-cost housing projects for informal settlers.

When Marcos took the floor, he also questioned the P12.9 billion “errata” allocation for the DILG, which came from seven fund sources under a 270-page errata provision in the proposed national budget.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Governments, Marcos insisted that the DILG is not empowered by law to build housing units, which is given to the National Housing Authority (NHA) or to create water supply which is the concern of the Local Water Utilities Administration or the DPWH.

He maintained that the role of the DILG Secretary is simply supervision – not control— of provinces, cities and municipalities. He has no technical expertise on water supply or administering low cost houses.

“The DILG chief has no technical expertise in low-cost housing, and even if he has, that is not his mandate. That is the responsibility of the National Housing Authority,” Marcos stressed.

Roxas relayed to Senate finance chairman Sen. Francis Escudero that he merely pursued President Aquino's directive to the late Secretary Jesse Robredo the functions of relocating informal settlers, who are most vulnerable during typhoons.

Instead of managing water supply projects or building of houses, Marcos said the DILG secretary should focus on improving the peace and order situation and homeland security.

He added that the DILG secretary should strive towards ensuring that Filipinos feel safe at home, on the streets, in their workplaces and renew their trusts with men in uniform.

Marcos also questioned the allocation of P1.003 billion under the item “local government performance management-based Challenge for LGUs”, rationalizing that LGUs are expected to function and give services in an excellent manner and are not to be compensated for doing their basic functions.

“LGUs are adequately endowed,” he added.

Marcos said that the P3.143 billion of the PAMANA (or Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan) program should be transferred to the DPWH or with the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace Process.

He added that another P1.27 billion of SALIN Tubig program would best be allocated to the Local Water Utilities Administration of the DPWH since the DILG has no technical expertise on this.

Marcos said the P1.244 billion housing program for informal settlers fund should go to the NHA and the DILG should explain how it spent its budget for this purpose in 2014.

He added that the P5 .664 billion provision for water supply funds under the grassroots participatory budgeting program should apply to the local budget process.

"Political institutions like Congress should be strengthened, not weakened," Marcos said.

Marcos said the P250 million empowerment fund simply fails to explain how it contributes to the mandate of the DILG.

He also said that it is also unclear how the proposed P22 million allocation for civil society/organization partnership program would contribute to the mandate of the DILG.

Marcos said the 2015 proposed national budget, the last that the Aquino administration is submitting to Congress for authorization with 270 pages of Errata is “solid proof that the budget was haphazardly done.”

Despite the numerous questions from Marcos, the Senate still approved the DILG budget after the scrutiny of senators including Grace Poe, Pia Cayetano, Vicente Sotto III and JV Ejercito.