Palace backs DBM on withholding P80 billion lawmakers’ fund

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang agrees with the decision of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to withhold the release of some P80 billion diverted to projects of some legislators under the 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the requesting parties will need to pass certain requisites before the funds will be released.

“I talked with the Budget secretary and he told me about it, he said that the P84 billion will not be released immediately but depending on the need for the release thereof. In other words, there will be a process,” Panelo said.

He disputed reports that the DBM’s move could have been due to irregularities.

“No, if they found any irregularity, these would have not been included in the budget. But, what the (DBM) is saying, if there is a need for that, then we have to include that in the budget but they have to pass certain processes,” Panelo explained.

He made the comment after Sen. Panfilo Lacson hailed the DBM’s move to “hold up” the release of the P80-billion funding, which was supposedly diverted from appropriations for flagship projects under the Build, Build, Build program.

Lacson said legislators “realigned” at least P80 billion from the infrastructure program in the 2020 budget to fund their “pet projects.”

“I support the decision of President Duterte and the DBM to withhold the release of these congressional realignments,” Lacson said in a statement Wednesday.

Budget Undersecretary Laura Pascua was reported to have said the funding hold was laid out in the guidelines released on Jan. 6, the same day President Duterte signed the GAA of 2020.

Duterte did not formally veto any provision when he signed the 2020 budget, raising the possibility that the spending hold represents some sort of informal veto.