Senators more cautious on 2015 budget

MANILA, Philippines - With the recent decisions of the Supreme Court on the realignment of the budget and pork barrel misuse, senators took extra care in ensuring that the 2015 budget will comply with the high tribunal's decisions.

Sen. Francis Escudero pegged the total new appropriations of P1.862-trillion which is the same level as the National Expenditure Program and the budget approved by the House of Representatives.

Escudero said that under the Senate version, the body deleted the special provisions under the special purpose funds, which allow savings from the said funds to be made available to the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The Constitutional offices are also covered by the prohibition.

He said that the move was “in compliance with the Supreme Court decision prohibiting the cross-border transfer if savings from the executive to the other branches of government.”

It also barred the executive branch from using the quick response funds for pre-disaster activities or any other purpose not authorized in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Escudero noted that there is an accompanying special provision in the Supreme Court budget provided that … “all non-recurring appropriations herein such as, but not limited to, foreign-assisted projects and locally-funded projects, shall not form part of the Judiciary’s appropriation that may not be reduced by Congress under Section 3, Article VIII of the Constitution.”

In his sponsorship speech, Escudero revealed that the realignments within and between agencies amounted to P91,821,325,000.00.

Out of the realigned budget, the senator explained that P37.921 billion are under the programmed new appropriations and P53.9 billion from unprogrammed appropriations. The P53.9 million accounts for the proposed budget for buyout option for the MRT, Escudero said in an interview.

Senators Ralph Recto, Loren Legarda and Sergio Osmena III also delivered their co-sponsorship speeches.

In preparing the 2015 budget, the senators were conscious of the recent decisions of the Supreme Court on the use of savings as well as the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel in the crafting of the 2015 budget.

“Recent judicial decisions on the use of public money has altered the budgeting landscape,” Recto said.  “It should trigger a chance on the way we engage each other in drafting the budget. While checks and balance must never cease or relax, perhaps we can more forward by admitting that we are not rivals for power but are partners for progress,” Recto added.

Recto addressed the executive branch in saying that it should stop the stereotype view that every amendment Congress makes is akin to pounding plowshares into pork barrel. “Besides you should remember that senators nowadays are elected based on their repugnance of pork and not how they love it,” he said.

Legarda also batted for the need to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) among other concerns.

According to Escudero, the major budgetary increases include the allocation of P19 billion for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program to cover past disasters including typhoons Yolanda, Glenda and Mario; P3.636 billion for the Department of Education, particularly for a  Feeding Program, the Quick Response Fund, and Chalk Allowance.

Other realignments include:

• Realignment of P2.670 billion under the Information and Communications Technology Office for Free Wifi Internet in public places, to be sourced from the Digitization Empowerment Program;
• Restoration of the House cut on DPWH amounting to P242.6 million under MFO 3  or “Maintenance and Construction Services of Other Infrastructures” and the restoration of P1.318 billion underMFO 1 or “National Road Network Services.”  In addition, an increase of P1.130 billion will be provided for the Quick Response Fund of the DPWH to bring it to P2 billion;
• Reallocation/Restoration of P1 billion for the Philippine Children’s Medical Center particularly for Hospital Modernization, to be sourced from their budget for Land Acquisition pending the Department of Justice’s opinion on the land swap transaction between the DOJ and the NHA;
• Additional P816.229 million for the Philippine Crop Insurance Service which will now total P2 billion;
• Increase of P715.36 million for the Enterprise Information System Plan (IT for e-courts) of the Supreme Court.
• Increase of P500 million for the Quick Response Fund of the Department of Health;
• Increase of P421.5 million for the Bureau of Customs for Workplace Modernization and various equipment to counter the perennial problem of smuggling;
• Additional budget of P362.472 million for the Department of National Defense as Buildings Outlay for the National Defense College of the Philippines as well as for Force Sustainment or Enhancement of the various Engineering Brigades of the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and the Philippine Navy.
• Increase of P300 million for the Modernization Program and Faculty Development of the Philippine Normal University;
• Increase of P108.907 million for Jail Facilities under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to be sourced from the cut in Monitoring and Evaluation Cost of PAMANA and the Grassroots Participatory Program of the DILG-OSEC;
• Realignment of P2.915 billion in the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, specifically from the PantawidPamilya Pilipino Program and the KALAHI-CIDSS projects to Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens which will benefit 460,647 senior citizens at a total cost of P2.770 billion in line with R.A. No. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.
• Additional funding of P50 million will also be provided for theComprehensive Project for Street Children, Street Families and Indigenous Peoples-especially Badjaos, as well as an additional P95-million for Protective Services for Individuals and Families in Difficult Circumstances.
• Increase of P15 million for the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos for the Hajj Travel Assistance and Endowment Administration Services.