Cha-cha on the roll

There are no funds provided for the Charter change (Cha-cha) in the proposed 2017 budget bill as submitted to the 17th Congress last Monday. Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno confirmed this as he officially turned over the voluminous books containing the details of the proposed P3.35-trillion 2017 national budget.

Actually, what Diokno submitted to Congress was the proposed 2017 budget bill prepared by the previous administration of President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III. When President Rodrigo Duterte and his economic team – that included Diokno – took office, they recast the 2017 draft budget bill and put their own amendments to reflect the priorities of the new administration.

When he convened his maiden Cabinet meeting a few hours after his inaugural last June 30, President Duterte lost no time in identifying the priority thrusts of his administration, at least on its first 100 days in office. President Duterte spelled out these priorities during his first state of the nation address (SONA) at the joint opening of sessions held at the Batasan Pambansa last July 25.

Under the country’s 1987 Constitution, the budget bill must be submitted one month after the joint opening sessions of both chambers of Congress. Diokno submitted the amended 2017 budget bill a week before the one-month period lapsed.

In his message to both leaders and members of Congress, Duterte sought the approval of the proposed program of expenditures for next year that focuses on the needs of Filipinos. Duterte admitted there would be a budget deficit that would amount to P478.1 billion, or equivalent to three percent of the country’s projected gross domestic product (GDP) for next year. (The GDP is the sum total of all goods and services produced within the economy in annual basis.)

“Our plan to pump-prime the economy through increased spending on infrastructure will push GDP growth to new heights next year and throughout our term,” the President pointed out. He said infrastructure spending would be increased to six to seven percent of the GDP to build new roads, railways, classrooms, and farm facilities.

Such higher infrastructure spending would cost the government a lot of money although it would create new jobs and generate income and savings for the people.

But this would also result to sacrifices as such deficit spending put more pressure on the government to either raise taxes, or borrow money, or both, to bankroll these infrastructure programs.

The President, however, promised the more debts that would be incurred by his administration would “produce results” to improve the lives of Filipinos across the country.

Given the scarce resources of the government, the former Davao City Mayor conceded he has to accept the realities on the ground, that there are more urgent needs to attend to than to pursue the shift to federalism through Cha-cha.

The extra funds to carry it out made President Duterte to rethink his campaign stand in favor of elected members of Constitutional Convention (con-con). Based on the estimates given to him by Diokno, the President admitted his change of heart and mind for con-con, citing the members of Congress.

The Chief Executive pointed out he would rather spend such amount to the most urgent “endeavors” like education and health programs to serve the greater needs of the people. He impressed these upon us during the courtesy call to him by The Philippine STAR editors at Malacanang Palace last Aug. 3.

“Ako gusto ko con-con. Early on sabi ko con-con. Noong tinanong ko si Diokno, I asked Sir Ben, ‘how much do you think it would cost siguro?’ Ben told us, ‘Kung matagalan yan mga P30 billion,” the President quoted his conversation with the DBM Secretary.

“I need the money for some other endeavors. Bigay ko na lang sa Go Negosyo,” the President quipped.

In the course of re-drafting of the proposed 2017 budget bill, President Duterte disclosed to us that he instructed his DBM Secretary to make sure additional funds would be placed on the education services. “I insisted on it,” he pointed out. “We have to educate our young,” President Duterte stressed.

During his almost 20-minute interaction with The STAR editors, President Duterte was also emphatic to impress upon us he wanted more budget for public health services.

“I will force this issue really,” he said.

In the first Cabinet meeting at Malacanang Palace, President Duterte told his newly appointed Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial he would like her to fly to Cuba and study that country’s highly successful healthcare program.

Making a mental calculation of the cost estimates for con-con, the President cited the “enormity of expenses” to adopt this mode of Cha-cha to pay for staff, offices, cars, allowances, and other costs. He remembered con-con during the Marcos administration when debates went on for several years before they did their job. “Ubos ang pera, buti pa wag na lang,” he pointed out.

While he remains open to all proposed modes of Cha-cha, the President admitted he is now more leaning towards a constituent assembly (con-ass). This should explain the trend of con-ass now fast gaining support from the administration allies in and out of the 17th Congress.

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez filed the first ever Cha-cha bill under House Resolution No. 2 which offers con-ass as the next best alternative mode of amending the Charter.

“Let’s give the Filipino people the option. Were it not upon the huge amount needed to go with con-con papayag ako. But if you deal with representatives, con-ass will do,” the President told us.

Under con-ass, the members of the incumbent 17th Congress will be the ones to draft the proposed amendments to the country’s Constitution, and submit them for ratification in a plebiscite.

Although there is no provision for Cha-cha in the proposed 2017 budget bill, Diokno explained it can be sourced from the budgets of both the Senate and the House of Representatives and “contingency funds” of the President, if need be. In the 2017 budget bill, a total of P14.1 billion is provided for Congress. The amount is higher than the P13.9 billion budget of Congress this year.

If there is a will, there is a way, as they say. So the Cha-cha ball is now on the roll in Congress.