New savings law won’t be used vs Noy critics – Palace

MANILA, Philippines - A new definition of government savings that President Aquino is seeking from Congress won’t be used against administration critics, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. has assured congressmen.

“The President does not intend to use it to deny funds to political foes and critics,” he said.

He said Aquino is seeking a redefinition of savings so the government could use excess funds in a timely manner and not just before the end of the year, when appropriations in the national budget are about to expire.

Ochoa gave the assurance in response to apprehensions raised by Bayan Muna Representatives Carlos Zarate and Neri Colmenares, who questioned Aquino’s proposal for Congress to redefine savings in the 2015 budget.

The two said under the proposal, the President would be authorized to suspend project appropriations for “justifiable cause” any time during the budget year, declare the funds as savings and use them to augment other items of appropriation in the national budget.

They said the proposed redefinition would go against the Supreme Court ruling declaring several practices under the administration’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) as unconstitutional, including the declaration and use of savings before the end of the year.

In effect, the suggested new definition would violate the Constitution and convert the budget into a bigger DAP fund, they said.

“We beg to disagree, your honors. We believe that declaring and using savings before the end of the year is constitutional. That is why we have appealed the DAP ruling,” Ochoa answered.

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said Aquino and other officials who implemented DAP should not be blamed for the adverse SC decision.

“They conceived the program and implemented it in good faith. There should be presumption of regularity on their part,” he said.

He maintained that the Administrative Code of 1987, signed by Aquino’s late mother former President Corazon Aquino, empowers the President to realign savings at any time during the budget year.

Former Manila Rep. Benny Abante joined Colmenares and Zarate in opposing the proposed redefinition of savings.

“It would give the President or Budget Secretary (Florencio) Butch Abad full discretion to stop any project after the budget has been approved, and realign it somewhere else as they see fit,” he said.

He warned lawmakers that their approval of the Palace proposal “could be used by the administration to weaken political opponents and strengthen the candidacies of its allies.”