Noy: It's better to underspend than waste taxpayers' money

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  – For President Aquino, it is better to underspend and put projects on hold than waste taxpayers’ money to corruption or poor planning.

“Sabi nila underspending daw. Pabigat daw sa ekonomiya ito pero sa totoo lang daw ho, kung merong katiwalian, ibinulsa ang pera ng bayan, umikot ba sa ekonomiya, o lumobo ang bulsa ng iilan (They say underspending weighs down the economy. But the truth is if there’s irregularity, do funds go to the economy or to the pockets of a few)?” Aquino said in a meeting with people power volunteers here. He also defended Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson’s move to review government projects.

“Palagay ko mas mabuti nang i-delay ang proyekto, pag-aralan na matiyak at talagang kapaki-pakinabang po sa ating bayan (I think it’s better to delay a project and have it thoroughly checked to ensure it benefits the country),” he said.

Aquino was reacting to criticism that his administration’s underspending was hampering growth.

“We’re being criticized for underspending, but if you were in our position you would understand,” he said in Filipino.

He said 70 percent of infrastructure projects with allocated funds have turned out to be already completed. He said this made Singson decide to review the projects to avoid double-payment.

At the House of Representatives, the President’s order for stricter control of funds – at least for salaries – drew support from the appropriations committee chairman.

“I think that is a good decision and policy,” Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, appropriations committee chairman and chief sponsor of the proposed P1.8-trillion budget for next year, said.

“It is consistent with the President’s core policies of transparency and accountability,” he said in response to questions raised by Minority Leader Edcel Lagman.

The subject of their exchange is a special budget item in which all funds for vacant positions in the bureaucracy, including Congress and the judiciary, were pooled. The item holds a total of P23.4 billion.

Under next year’s budget, agencies have to fill their vacancies before requesting for the release of funds.

This year and in previous years, funds for vacancies were automatically released to agencies, many of which diverted the money to more allowances, bonuses and incentives.

Lagman said he found it questionable that the President would include Congress, the judiciary and other independent institutions like the Commission on Audit in the pooling of funds for job vacancies. – With Jess Diaz and Paolo Romero