No funds for infra due to budget delay — Diokno

MANILA, Philippines — Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno warned lawmakers yesterday that the government would not be able to fund infrastructure projects worth more than P72 billion due to their failure to approve the P3.757-trillion national budget.

Diokno aired the warning even as Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte urged the Senate and House of Representatives to convene a conference on the proposed budget shortly after they resume sessions on Monday. The spending measure is pending in the Senate.

Villafuerte, vice chairman of the House appropriations committee, said expeditious approval of the appropriations bill would ensure funding for President Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” program and for the salary increase of state workers, including teachers, soldiers and policemen.

Diokno earlier said he would not be able to release money for the pay hike since funds for it are included in the still-to-be-enacted 2019 budget.

He said aside from funds for the salary increase, he also could not disburse money “for new infrastructure projects worth P43.7 billion and ongoing projects worth P28.4 billion, except the foreign-assisted ones.”

Like the pay adjustment, Diokno said funds for these projects are included in the proposed budget for next year.

He said the necessary funds would become available once the 2019 budget is approved by Congress and signed by the President.

On Monday, Malacañang called on the Senate and House to set aside their differences and approve the budget as soon as possible.

Echoing the Palace appeal, Villafuerte said, “I ask my fellow lawmakers to transcend personal and partisan political interests in passing the GAB (general appropriations bill) as soon as the Congress reopens next week.  

“As lawmakers, we wield the constitutional power of the purse and thus have the duty and responsibility to review and approve the national budget of the government as soon as possible for the benefit of the people,” he said.

He said the spending bill submitted by the President “incorporates his priority programs and projects that need to be implemented to make economic growth under Duterte’s watch more inclusive as well as the reforms necessary to ensure that the budget is spent wisely and in a more transparent manner.” 

Villafuerte echoed Diokno’s assertion that funds could not be released for new infrastructure projects and the salary increase of government personnel.

“The government cannot implement new projects and is constrained to spend only 25 percent of the allocated amount for ongoing projects in the first quarter of the year because of the delay in the approval of the 2019 GAB. Under a reenacted budget, state workers cannot receive their salary increase this year,” he said.

Diokno and the Senate have blamed the House for the budget approval delay.

Senate to pass budget soon

The Senate will do its best to pass its version of the proposed budget as soon as it can, even as lawmakers will continue combing through the money measure for possible “pork” provisions, leaders of the chamber said yesterday.

Malacañang on Monday pleaded with Congress to immediately pass the GAB so the government can start implementing urgent projects.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the chamber aims to approve the budget before the end of the month.

“We concur. Except the House of Representatives transmitted the GAB to us one month late (Nov. 26). The Senate is doing its best considering the predicament they painted us in,” Sotto said.

He said the Senate should not be faulted for the delay.

House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. earlier vowed to expose hundreds of billions in alleged insertions by the budget department in various agencies for some projects that allegedly would benefit Diokno’s in-laws.

Due to the failure of Congress to approve the proposed expenditure program, the 2018 General Appropriations Act was automatically reenacted into law on Jan. 1.

If the Senate manages to approve the GAB by the end of next week, the two chambers will convene the bicameral conference committee to reconcile conflicting provisions of their respective versions to come up with a final bill to be sent to President Duterte’s desk for his signature.

If the committee’s work takes another week, the GAB would be ready for enactment by the first week of February.

“We will pass it (GAB) soon,” said Sen. Loren Legarda, who chairs the Senate finance committee.  –  With Paolo Romero