Ping questions Palace use of P131-B agri fund

Malacañang might have availed itself of up to P131 billion in potential pork barrel funds from agriculture modernization appropriations that had accumulated since 2002.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson made the disclosure yesterday in his interpellation of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Fund (AFMA) in the proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) during Senate deliberations on the P1.145-trillion 2009 budget.

“It appears (the DA budget for 2009 is) very small – P3.6 billion. Compared with the other budgets of the different departments, it looks pathetic. But if we examine the special purpose funds in the portions of the agency’s budget as indicated, particularly the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act, it is a whopping P35.4 billion and everything is carried under the Office of the (DA) Secretary,” he said.

He added that aside from the P35.4-billion AFMA for 2009, the AFMA that had accumulated since 2002 now amounted to over P131 billion.

Lacson said that if there were no projects identified for AFMA financing, the fund would become discretionary on the part of the agriculture secretary as well as the President.

“I don’t believe the secretary will utilize funds of AFMA without clearance of the President,” he said.

On the other hand, Lacson sought an accounting of the money spent so far for AFMA-related projects.

He said that despite the huge allocation for AFMA, the agriculture sector has failed to modernize.

“From 2002 to 2009, AFMA funds accumulated to P131 billion-plus. Looking at the huge funds intended for AFMA and considering the main thrust is to modernize agriculture and fisheries, we’re still importing rice, fishery is still in disarray.”

Meanwhile, Lacson called for specific details of some lump sums in the House version of the budget. These included construction, repair, rehabilitation of new or existing national irrigation systems nationwide, P200 million; small reservoirs irrigation projects nationwide, P425 million; Balikatan Sagip Patubig nationwide, P200 million; restoration, rehabilitation of National Irrigation Authority-assisted irrigation systems, P6 billion;

payment of road right of way, P220.8 million; repair operation and maintenance of pump irrigation, P116 million; repair, rehab and constructions of farm-to-market road in key production areas, P3.65 billion; and agriculture projects for various indigenous products and industries, P100 million.

Lacson also batted for the reduction in perks and allowances of officers of government corporations running on big subsidies from the national government.

He voiced concern that the subsidies for some government corporations were finding their way to perks and allowances of some directors and officials.

“At the very least, I hope the incentives for directors and officers of government corporations will be lessened. It’s like we are giving them an incentive for continuing to incur losses,” he said during Senate deliberations on the budget for 2009.

He noted “practically all government corporations are now being subsidized, with the National Food Authority (NFA) looming as the next National Power Corp. (Napocor).”

Government critics have tagged Napocor as a huge white elephant because of the subsidies it continued to get despite the huge losses it incurs.

“Practically all government corporations are being subsidized. The total amount for subsidy is quite huge in the 2009 budget,” Lacson noted.

The NFA stands to get a subsidy of P3.6 billion for 2009, he said.

“What’s the wisdom of maintaining government corporations? If the subsidies go to the intended purpose, I am concerned the subsidies will find their way to perks and allowances (of directors and officials),” Lacson said.