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ss Insight
Wednesday, July L7 ,2019
Salceda: No lump sum
alfocattons in 201,9 budget
BY WEIIDEII VIGILUT
. LUMP sum allocations in the
anaual national budget, often a
source of graft and corruption,
will be minimized i:nder thi new
House leadetship, Albay Rep. Joey
Salceda said yesterday
Saiceda, who is expected to be
elected as deputy speaker, said
ptesumptive speaket Alan Peter
Cayetado has already made it dear
that he wants to rid the next bud-
get of "potk" which tle Supreme
SALCEDA
by Congtess to ensure Programs
are doable and socially desieble."
. "kss opaque items drus more
open and traospatent budget hear-
ings including fi coverage of
bicam (deJibetations between con-
gressmen and senators)," he said.
"(Ihere will be) no bureaucratic
inefdciencies by departments, thus,
greater oversight by dre House."
The edministration lawmaker
said therewili be 29 congtessional
oversight bodies on top of a stand-
ing committee on oversight.
In is 2014 decision, the SuPretne
Court oudawed in 2014.
"That essentially means follovr-
ing the letter and spirit of the SC
ruling. That means minimizing
lump sum apptopriations, rhus,
line itemization and provide sepa-
rate budget for contingencies (ike
ttphoons)," Salceda said in a text
message.
Cayetano, who was eqdorsed
by President Duterte to be the
speaker, had earliet said he shares
Sen. Panfilo Lacson's stand against
tlle pork barel system.
Court ptohibited lawmakers "to
intervene, assutne or patticipate in
any of the various post-enactment
stages of the budget execution."
The decision barted lawmak-
ers ftom identifiing ot proPosing
projects to be funded by the differ-
ent departments and agencies once
dre national budget or the General
Appropriations Act (GAA) has
been enacted.
The bigget the allocation fot
a particular project, the bigger
rhe oppottunity for graft and
cottuption since conftactors ate
known to offer hefty commissions
in exchange fot cornering huge
He, however, said the House and
the Seoate shou.ld fust be able to
clear\ define what is considered
"potk" because there are many
legitimate govetnment pfojects
that need to be fulded, especially
public works.
Salceda, a former economic ad-
viser, said no artifrcial savings will
be allosrd to fund realignments,
"thus, better planning by (the) ex-
ecutive and grcater budget scrutiny
SALCEDA )
See Page 83
conttacts.
Before the High Court's ruling,
senators and congtessmen ideoti-
fied projects to be funded by dre
Priority Development Assistance
Fund @DAF) aftet the national
budget is passed, which made the
system pfone to abuse because
of the ievel of discretion given to
larmaken.
But even after the SC Prohibi-
tion, some lawmakers have still
been able to obtain unnecessarilY
huge allocations for tieit districs
during budget delibeations, which
some critics daim can are still con-
sidered "porlc"