Bongbong grills Mar on multiple functions

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. grilled Monday night Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II for his apparent multiple functions that include the relocation of informal settlers in Metro Manila.

During the budget hearing of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Marcos also cited Roxas’ authority to implement irrigation projects that should be under jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago earlier pointed out that the National Irrigation Authority should handle the irrigation projects.

The Senate, however, approved the DILG budget after officials were questioned by Sens. Grace Poe, Pia Cayetano, Vicente Sotto III and JV Ejercito.

During his turn to scrutinize the DILG budget, Marcos asked Roxas to explain where the department spent the billions of pesos intended for low-cost housing 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.

He also questioned the P12.9-billion “errata” allocation, which came from seven fund sources under a 270-page errata provision in the proposed national budget.

Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local governments, insisted that the DILG is not empowered by law to build housing units, normally the task of the National Housing Authority (NHA), nor to create water supply, the concern of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) or the DPWH.

He said the role of the DILG secretary is simply supervision and not control of provinces, cities and municipalities.

“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 (NHA),” 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 had been most vulnerable during past typhoons.

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

He added that Roxas should strive towards ensuring that Filipinos feel safe at home, on the streets, in their workplaces and renew their trust in men and women in uniform.

Marcos has questioned the allocation of P1.003 billion under the item “local government performance management-based Challenge for LGUs.”

“LGUs are adequately endowed,” he added.

The P3.143 billion of the PAMANA (Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan) program, Marcos said, should be transferred to the DPWH with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process responsible for identifying the beneficiaries.

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

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

The P5.664-billion provision for water supply funds under the grassroots participatory budgeting program, Marcos added, 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.