Visayan bloc to push amendments to 2015 budget

MANILA, Philippines - The Visayan bloc of lawmakers in the House of Representatives will push for amendments to the proposed P2.606-trillion national budget for 2015, particularly on what they called “questionable” lump sum provisions they said are prone to corruption.

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, leader of the 33-member bloc, cited in particular the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) that was increased by more than 100 percent, or from just P53.5 billion this year to P118.1 billion for 2015, eating up nearly five percent of the proposed expenditure program.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) referred to the MBPF as “authorized salaries, associated premiums and other singular benefits of the employees of national government in constitutional offices enjoying fiscal autonomy.”

This means that salaries of employees of the said independent bodies that have not yet been disbursed – particularly for still unfilled positions – are withheld by the DBM to prevent the said offices from using it as savings for capital outlay or other benefits at the end of year.

The figure is reached based on the proposed staffing or hiring program for the fiscal year.

DBM Secretary Florencio Abad earlier admitted the MBPF and Pension and Gratuity Fund were among the funding sources for Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) that the Supreme Court ruled to be unconstitutional.

The DBM was not clear on how much of the two appropriations for 2014 had actually been used for hiring personnel and paying retirement benefits, and how much had been diverted to DAP.

“Why was the allocation for MBPF more than doubled? Are we going to really hire or fill up all these positions? That has not been the track record of the government. I hope this (MBPF) is not again to justify ‘savings’,” Benitez said.

Benitez said the bloc will also push for amendments to increase the allocations for the Visayas and Mindanao in the proposed national budget, which he said remained lopsided in favor of Luzon.

“The government has not prioritized or given equitable share for the people of the Visayas and even Mindanao who are also Filipinos,” Benitez said.