P52-B ‘distinct’ insertions sa 2026 NEP, tatanggalin ng Senado

Ni Ernie Reyes

Nakatakdang tanggalin ng Senado ang mahigit P51.8 bilyong “distinct” insertions na pawang kuwestiyonable na nakalagay sa panukalang 2026 National Expenditure Program na isinumite ng Palasyo sa Kongreso.

Ayon kina Senador Panfilo Lacson at Senate Committee on Finance chair Sherwin Gatchalian, na makikipagtulungan sila sa Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) upang ilipat ang hihigit sa PHP51.82 billion sa questionable “distinct” insertions sa panukalang 2026 national budget.

Pinuna ni Lacson ang lump-sum allocation na itinuturing nitong malabo at potensiyal na aabusuhin sa ginanap na briefing ng Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).

Tinukoy ni Lacson na may ilang item na may multiple entries para sa flood management program sa Metro Manila at  Region 1 (Ilocos), Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), at Region 3 (Central Luzon) na magkakaparehong presyo pero walang espisipikong detalye ng proyekto.

“Sen. Gatchalian and I want to remove these vague entries in the NEP (National Expenditure Program). It seems those who inserted these items plan to make them ghost projects. We could not identify who inserted them,” ani Lacson.

Ayon kay Lacson na layunin ng paglilipat na pondohan ang priority program alinsunod sa Philippine Medium-Term Development Plan.

“When we amend the budget bill, we intend to realign these items… so our amendments will be aligned with the direction that the national government wants to take,” aniya.

Ilan sa nakitang item na puwedeng abusuhin sa bicameral conference committee tulad ng P152 bilyong insertions na kinaltas sa pondo ng edukasyon at kalusugan, ang 88 items na magkakapareho ang presyo na aabot saP50 milyon kada sa (P13.2 bilyon),  373 items na may halagang PHP100 million each (PHP37.3 billion), at 11 items na may halagang PHP120 million each (PHP1.32 billion).

“Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, who was present at the DBCC hearing Tuesday, agreed to coordinate with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on the realignment, following Lacson’s call for executive sessions to determine which projects should receive funding,” ayon kay Lacson.

Sa kanyang privilege speech noong Aug. 20, ipinakita ni Lacson  ang ilang paulit-ulit na alokasyon sa katulad na halaga ng kontrata bilang “distinct” na isang   coded budget system na senyales sa may-ari ng proyekto kaya nagkakaroon ng  ghost projects.

“When contractors invade Congress and lawmakers invade the construction business, this is the outcome,” babala ni Lacson, saka idinagdag na “vague insertions hit Filipinos with a “quadruple whammy” as they appear in the NEP, the House and Senate versions of the budget, and in the bicameral conference committee. “ 

Ernie Reyes nag-uulat para sa RoadNews