Noy to detail how he spent his ‘pork’

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino will fully disclose the utilization of his own pork barrel or lump sum funds under his discretion.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Aquino said he was open to itemizing allocations for his office to prove that he was not misusing public money.

“We are open, but did you notice that no one was saying there was misuse of the President’s Social Fund?” he said. “But it’s being asked to be scrapped. You don’t understand the logic there.”

Following the 8th East Asia Conference on Competition Law and Policy at Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City, Aquino said he was open to proposals to itemize the Special Purpose Fund and the President’s Social Fund.

“I will ask the PMS (Presidential Management Staff) where the (PSF) was spent over the three years that I have served as President and how much the funds had grown because we had been prudent and careful in spending that,” he said.

Aquino said the PSF was presently being spent for   policemen and soldiers  wounded or killed in battle to transport them back to their families and to provide assistance to the families left behind, especially if they were the sole breadwinners.

The PSF was also the source of funds for the education of    fallen policemen and soldiers, and that some medical assistance for people were also coming from his social funds, he added.

Aquino said the Malampaya Fund can also be itemized,   and that he would also show the public how it was spent. The law mandates that the   Malampaya Fund be used only for energy or energy-related programs and projects, he added.

Aquino said energy-related projects would include  electrification and protection of energy assets for the Navy, the Coast Guard and the Air Force.

“Part of the fund can also be used to upgrade (or) help in the modernization (of the military),” he said.

Aquino said the Malampaya Fund was also tapped to solve power woes in Mindanao and could be used for bridge financing for cooperatives to provide generator sets.

“Again, I am very strict on insisting that when it’s Malampaya, it must be used on energy or energy-related purposes,” he said.

Aquino said he sees no problem if the funds would be itemized so long as it would not be too specific.

“A few weeks ago, they were saying (the budget) was too itemized, now it seems to be lacking in itemization,” he said. “So you be the judge as to what is really being said. But again, aside from the Calamity Fund, for instance, (the rest can be itemized).”

Aquino said lump sum allocations like the Calamity Fund are needed because they could not predict calamities or disasters.

“You should really have standby funds to respond to the disasters that will come,” he said.

In a statement, the Department of Budget and Management denied reports that allocations for Priority Development Assistance Fund “more than doubled” under the Aquino Administration.

In 2011, the Aquino administration consolidated both “soft” and “hard” projects under the PDAF.

The VILP (various infrastructure and local projects) is still an item in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s budget but this fund no longer includes congressional allocations.

It facilitated efficiency in the management of congressional allocations for socio-economic programs and better transparency and accountability in the use of PDAF.

It was also designed to curb the common practice of so-called “congressional insertions” where legislators lobbied with agencies for the inclusion of more projects in their districts during budget deliberations.

Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Office told The STAR in Davao City the administration is set to embark on a nationwide

information campaign on the budget process to make the people more vigilant in ensuring that public money is not misused.

“We want to promote greater awareness among our people, not only about PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) and other discretionary funds,” he said. “We are willing to do this through the Philippine Information Agency. In that way people will be more aware, vigilant and they will be active in monitoring how government money is spent.” 

Coloma said government might take steps similar to India where the budget minister comes up with an annual message with regard to their national budget. – Aurea Calica, Edith Regalado