Senator Ping Lacson has confirmed that senators get P100 million more Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) on top of their regular P200 million allocation. He said he was offered, but he did not avail of it.
We have previously written about this, when a senator told us that they were promised an additional P100 million in exchange for the approval of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) appropriation. Another bribe?
If you have observed, the General Appropriations Act (GAA) or national budget has been approved without cuts for the last 3 years.
Senators Ping Lacson and Pia Cayetano have denied that they asked for the P40-million DAP funds to be released to Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Senator Joker Arroyo denied he asked for P47 million to be released to several hospitals and schools in Bicol.
Earlier, former Congressman Arnulfo Fuentebella denied he had authorized P5 million of his PDAF to be released to a non-government organization (NGO) by the Department of Agriculture.
The Commission on Audit (COA) reported that the P3-billion PDAF was released to former Compostela Valley Rep. Way Kurat Zamora, which he denied and later accepted as an error by the Department of Budget and Management.
Too many cases of wrong attribution to lawmakers have been made by
DBM. How many other cases will be discovered? Who profited from these
wrong attributions?
Bad policy
Assistant Secretary Virginia Torres announced her retirement at the
end of the month. She will be 60 years old and has served for 33 years.
She’s retiring without solving the problem of car registration plates,
which has been pending since she assumed office more than 3 years ago.Torres is well-known as a shooting buddy of President Aquino. She is under investigation by DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya for being caught playing the slot machine in a casino.
Secretary Abaya said, the case is now moot and academic with her retirement. That’s bad policy. Erring officials can get away with their crimes by retiring or resigning.
Constitutionality questioned
It’s a good sign that Supreme Court Justices Antonio Carpio, Jose
Perez, and Marvic Leonen asked tough questions that indicate their
reservations as to the constitutionality of the Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF).Justice Carpio raised the following questions about the constitutionality of PDAF:
1. The authority of a lawmaker to identify a project as a recipient of PDAF.
2. The delegation by the President to a Cabinet secretary, the authority to realign funds.
3. The concurrence of the Senate finance committee and the House appropriations committee to such realignment.
4. The PDAF deprived the President of the power to veto the spending items inserted among the lump-sum items approved by lawmakers.
Justice Jose Perez observed that the PDAF was unconstitutional by itself because it allowed lawmakers to implement the law after approving them.
Justice Marvic Leonen said that failure of the system had led to an extraordinary situation where the political branches, legislative and executive appear to be together on the grave abuse of power.
The Supreme Court should accord the highest priority to this case considering the wide public interest.
SSS bonuses
The Social Security System (SSS) has just approved bonuses totalling
P286 million to its officials and employees, including P10 million to
its commissioners.SSS president and CEO Emilio de Quiros Jr. also confirmed that commissioners get P40,000 each for every board meeting and P20,000 each for every committee meeting, or a total of P960,000 a year.
De Quiros justified the bonuses because it has achieved its target profit of P36 billion. Employees have raised a howl on why SSS premiums have been increased when it is making a P36-billion profit?
Why keep it unused?
The presence of P165-billion Malampaya fund raises a serious question
on why the P3 billion needed to rehabilitate and upgrade the Agus I and
Palangi II hydroelectric projects was delayed.It should now be used to buy 500 generators to be distributed to all the municipalities in Mindanao.
P50 billion should be allocated to building small hydroelectric projects with a communal irrigation component, which can be undertaken by provincial governments.
DBM Secretary Butch Abad justifies the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) because of a need to accelerate spending. If so, then release the total Malampaya funds.
P10 million more
At least 3 congressmen have confirmed to us that they get an
additional P10 million per year allocation from the Road Board from the
proceeds of the Road User’s Tax.Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian (NPC, Valenzuela) proposes that the Road Board be abolished as they just duplicate the functions of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary.
DBM Secretary Butch Abad earlier confirmed that the congressmen get P10-15 million each from the Disbursement Acceleration Fund (DAP).
TIDBITS: Philconsa through Professor Benjamin Diokno and former National Treasurer Leonor Briones have filed a 4th petition to declare the DAP unconstitutional.
Mayor Benedict Calderon of Roxas, Isabela was disqualified for vote buying. He gave away pigs and sacks of rice. He should be commended for such an innovative approach. All incumbent mayors give away all forms of assistance to their constituents.
Deputy Customs Commissioner Jessie Dellosa is bringing in military personnel to Bureau of Customs. It has been tried before, but it didn’t work.
Ten people have died in the floods of Zamboanga City, Basilan, and Negros.
President Aquino said that former Senator Francis Pangilinan told him he’s no longer interested to join the Aquino cabinet.
Why is the PCSO still keeping the small town lottery (STL)? Big lobby? 60 million reasons? How about an audit on lotto and STL collections?
http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2013/10/10/1243555/p100-million-more
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