Safeguards for ARMM funds sought

MANILA, Philippines - Senators wanted safeguards in the release of funds for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to avoid misuse even as they pressed for the immediate signing of the P1.541-trillion budget for 2010 to make the period of reenactment very short.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Senator Panfilo Lacson said a Public Works Act must be implemented in ARMM to make sure that the funds would go to infrastructure and development projects in all areas and not just to the pockets of its officials.

Pimentel said that the Senate did not cut P1 billion from the budget of ARMM, which was the reason why Lacson voted against the budget’s ratification, but half of it would not be released without the so-called Public Works Act.

He said half of the P1 billion lump sum out of the close to P10-billion budget for ARMM had been going to Maguindanao, which is controlled by the Ampatuans, instead of the different provinces.

“The share of ARMM in the budget is also released every three months. My suggestion is before every release, there must be an accounting and auditing first. If there are differences and questions, the release must be withheld. The accounting must be done here so they cannot influence it,” Pimentel said over radio dwIZ.

“I hope the funds cannot be used to buy (votes during) elections (in 2010),” he said.

The minority leader also pushed for the cut in the budget of the Supreme Court as proposed by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago but this was reduced to only P50 million.

 “But that’s still better than not to have a budget at all,” he said, adding that the copy of the budget ratified by Congress could be transmitted in Malacañang by the second week of January.