In an interview on ANC, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– passage of the 2019 national budget
– allegations of graft vs DBM Sec Diokno and calls for him to resign
– compensation for landowners affected by DPWH right-of-way projects
– Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite
Quotes from the interview…
On early passage of the 2019 budget:
“Yes. First week February magaang na yan. Best efforts end of this week or middle of next week. Kakayanin.”
“I will be a member of the bicam being a vice chairperson of the committee on finance.”
On transparency in the bicam:
“Meron siyang proposal, meron siyang system na introduce sa bicam to make it more transparent. Sa akin ang counter-proposal ko and I’m going to take this up during bicam, ako ina-anticipate ko I’m going to be a member. What could be more transparent if we make public all our individual amendments? Lahat na changes na introduce namin sa budget, Senate and HOR versions, i-matrix natin, ito galing kay Andaya, ito galing kay Sen Lacson. Let’s find out ano ang amendments na yan. My amendments have always been institutional. I make it a point that before, I am in close consultations with the agencies. Di ako whimsical kailangan pagawa ng kalsada sa lugar na ito so lagyan mo ako ng P10M diya, walang ganoon. But others are doing that without consulting with the agencies concerned they just introduce their amendments to their own liking. Yan ang whimsical, yan ang arbitrary na ang nangyayari hindi ma-implement ng agencies, because they are not part of the planning.”
On ‘reverting’ budget for farm-to-market roads to NEP level:
“Effectively taken out. Tiningnan namin lahat na farm-to-market roads binalik namin sa NEP. Kung anong pinasa ng Presidente, ng Cabinet o ng Malacanang na na-transmit sa House na ginalaw nila binalik namin sa original. So we took out.
“Nabawasan siya ng P6.1B. Ang original total amount for the whole country P11B. So nang nagkagalaw-galaw na may napuntang malaki sa ibang lugar, binalik na lang namin sa President’s budget ang farm-to-market roads from P11b nabawasan siya ng P6.1B.”
On restoration of P300M for public markets:
“Nagpunta sa akin ang DILG. Sabi nila Sir baka pwede ma-restore ang pondo namin sa public markets, repair and construction. May P900B initially sa NEP, President’s budget. All of a sudden naging P600M. So sabi ko saan napunta ang P300M? Napunta raw sa public cemeteries. So paano ma-equate ang development sa public cemeteries? In the first place ang public cemeteries may income na generate yan, at kaya ng local revenues na magpondo sa public cemeteries, sa maintenance. So binalik namin yan. And one of my amendments is to restore the P900M for the repair and construction of public markets.”
On pork-to-pork realignment:
“That’s what I described as a pork-to-pork realignment. Nanggaling sa pork from the previous leadership, napunta sa pork sa bagong leadership. We want to correct that. It is within our right under the Constitution, it is within our mandate to amend. Pero at least man lang mag-consult tayo sa mga agencies na mag-implement.”
On whether it is wrong that DPWH Sec Villar did not know that P75B was added to DPWH budget:
“It is wrong. Because the department is the implementing agency. So the first question is asked: How could the department implement something they not know about?”
“Sec. Diokno called it an adjustment, which may be the more appropriate term. But what Sec. Diokno may not know is that the P75B is no longer in its original form. The congressmen, remember there was a controversy when there was a change of leadership and they fought about it. The P75B initially included in the NEP was already mangled beyond recognition by the congressmen. The P75B originally set aside for certain projects were already amended by the 2nd GAB or the HOR version.”
On P75B for slope protection:
“Just a portion. But DPWH argued they can do with the P590M na naka-allocate sa road construction. I was telling them, there’s already P480M in 2017, another P800M for 2018, and they are asking for another P590M for 2019. And I told them 75% of road construction sa BLISTT project hindi passable, because nagkaroon ng landslide, because there was no prior coordination with the MGB, nasa batas yan at sa GAA yan. Before mag-commence ang projects prone to landslides, dapat mag-coordinate kayo to identify areas na kailangan ng slope protection, which they agreed. Sabi naman nila never mind huwag na kami bigyan sa P75B, we can do away with the 590M, instead of using that for road construction, gamitin na lang namin for slope protection.”
On suggestions to put part of the P75B in DA:
“We already passed the Rice Tariffication bill and it is an enrolled bill about to be signed by the president. Meron doon P10B, popondohan yan from the GAA na ibibigay sa farmers para i-subsidize. So that will take care of that. Kaya di inisip na paglagyan pa natin. But look, ang 75B originally na naging 31 na pinaghati-hatian, may napunta sa DA doon farm-to-market road projects. In the 2nd legislative district of Pampanga alone sa NEP meron nang 5 farm-to-market road projects. And nang lumabas na na-mangle ang P75B naging P500M worth of farm-to-market road projects in 1 district alone. That’s too many projects because 500 farm-to-market road projects in 1 district, how can they implement that?”
On allegations of graft vs DBM Sec Diokno and calls for him to resign:
“If I know Sec. Diokno correctly I wouldn’t believe Rep. Andaya. Solid naman ang reputation ni Sec. Diokno pagdating sa integridad.”
On whether Sec Diokno should resign:
“I don’t think so. I don’t think he should resign. Unang una the bottom line is does he still enjoy the trust and confidence of the president? If he does not anymore and the president tells him I don’t trust you anymore, then that’s the time for him to resign.”
“At this point in time I don’t.”
On Sec Diokno’s ‘pressure’ for Congress to pass the budget:
“I understand where he’s coming from. He’s trying to pressure the Senate or the Congress to pass the budget ASAP, which we’re doing naman. Parang kami naman, huwag mo na lang kami lecture-an na parang kindergarten na napaka-irresponsible namin because it’s not our misdoing na na-delay ang budget because ano ba gusto mo, na huwag na namin scrutinize, especially so na may nakita kaming questionable anomalous realignments of funds? Yan ang ginawa namin. So ngayon, today, we’re going to approve the budget on 2nd and 3rd reading. Given na yan kasi tapos na lahat kami. Later today we’re going to constitute ourselves into a bicam conference committee at least the Senate. I hope tomorrow morning we can meet in a bicam. The problem, bicam this is going to be a bit bloody. Because there’s a wide discrepancy between the Senate and HOR versions. So much so ang daming tinamaan doon ito ang bagong realignments ng bagong leadership.”
“Now Rep. Andaya, I just heard, was moved to being appropriations committee chair from majority leader. Siguro today he will manifest on the floor for Rep Andaya to be appro and I heard Rep Castro will take over as majority leader… So he can chair and marshal his forces kung ano pag-argue-han namin.”
On P7B unused budget for RROW:
“There’s another P28.9B for ROW alone for 2019. Ang tanong can you implement that considering behind schedule na sila? Ang list of projects na pina-delete ko noon but they appealed na ma-restore, sabi nila nakalagay riyan including ROW but we commit to you that the ROW issues are already resolved, and kung hindi man, shall be resolved within the year. Akala nila it ended there because I relented and I took their word ibalik natin ang P50.8. And then pinapasyalan ko ngayon, randomly. We went to Batangas, CDO, because I wanted to satisfy myself na talagang settled ang ROW issues. And what did we find out? Houses in the middle of the road. How can you use the road when there is a house right in the middle of the road? There are houses encroaching.”
“And when we talked to the residents, claimants affected by the ROW issues, sabi nila walang lumalapit sa amin walang nakikipag-negotiate. I discussed this during the interpellation and after that Monday interpellation my first day of interpellation sa DPWH, nagkataon nagpuntahan doon ang mga taga-Batangas. Sabi ko baka pwede mag-usap kayo sa office ko. And they talked. Ngayon binayaran na sila. This morning those people are trooping to my office just to thank me personally because they got the checks already. Kaya naman pala.”
“But the problem is hindi sila nakikipagusap sa claimants. Now remember 2 years ago or last year we had an investigation of the P8.6B RROW anomaly in General Santos. Fictitious claimants, fake titles, so I’m even suspecting now baka sinasadya ng ibang officials ng DPWH na pahirapan ang rightful claimants because they planned something, para bang ito para sa sindikato. Siyempre pag sindikato kasama na rin sila, that’s P8.6B.”
On DPWH actions on RROW issue:
“According to them they already formed regional legal divisions just to attend to ROW claims. That’s a good move.”
“Ang big-ticket items na nakatutok sila sabi nila 90% magandang accomplishments. But the items we saw na pinapa-delete ko ang physical accomplishment 0.68% may 0.0%, may 0.78%. Ito sinasabi ko magplano kayo. Do the proper planning and sa slope protection 75% may landslide. Bakit? Waang slope protection. Walang planning.”
On Road Users Tax:
“It should be turned over to the National Treasury and the usage should be deliberated sa budget.
On BOL plebiscite concerns:
“First my hope is maging successful not only the plebiscite but the days and years after the plebiscite, after ma-ratify. Remember there are so many dynamics involved here. Di ganoon kasimple. This is a little big step towards the attainment of peace and development in Mindanao. No. 1 is the 1996 peace agreement between the national government and MNLF. How would the government now address that peace agreement? Balewala na lang ba yan? When we talked peace with Misuari and the MNLF, umusong ang MILF. Dapat i-address ng gobyerno agad-agad and I think the President is doing the right thing by calling out, invite niya si Misuari, let’s talk, that’s in anticipation of possible conflicts. Another concern dito is, remember there’s a block grant 5% of the internal revenue allotment collection ng BIR at BOC, that’s huge, mga 70 ito, malaki ito. And on top of that in-increase pa from 70% to 75% ang sa mineral resources. Ang mga amendments na-introduce ko sa PNP, sa defense and security. Gusto ng MILF noon sarili nilang pulis. We cannot do that because meron tayong constitutional provision na national in scope ang PNP, ang pulis. So while the Chief Minister should be consulted sa appointment ng regional director ng pulis sa BOL or BARMM area. Tapos decommissioning, ang problema namin dito, sabi ni Mohagher Iqbal, in the sidelines while I was interpellating and amending. Sabi niya sa decommissioning, how can we convince our troops to decommission? Ang sabi ko lang, okay, ang age and height, and weight requirements waive natin. Bigay natin ng 5-year period na pwede sila pumasok waive natin yan. Educational amendment bigyan natin ng 15 years for them to catch up, okay na ba yan? They agreed so yan naging final version sa aspect ng defense and security.”
“Another breakaway group within the MILF ang manggulo or the group of the former MNLF yan ang mag-create ng gulo. That’s what happened. Parang vicious cycle.”
“Yung sa peace agreement may ZOPAD, Zone of Peace and Development, na ang mag-implement Southern PH Council for Peace and Development. So anong nangyari? Walang masyadong development. Nakita naman natin nag-deteriorate ang sa Mindanao. Ang perang nilagak doon nasayang talaga, napunta sa corruption, napunta sa misappropriation, napunta dito sa NCR kasi most of the time the leaders of the MNLF then were staying in NCR and enjoying life here.”
On occasional ‘criticism’ of President Duterte via Twitter:
“I react according to my conscience.”
“I know the president will understand my position. In one meeting we had in Davao recent ito. All of a sudden he blurted out, Kaya itong si Ping pag kini-criticize ako pero ok lang nate-temper din. Sa kanya pag constructive, okay. Siguro ayaw niya ang maski anong gawin ko mali na, which is also wrong. In meetings among cavalier legislators, I even told Gary Alejano sabi ko paminsan-minsan naman pag obvious na tama ginagawa ng presidente medyo suportahan mo naman,j di lahat na nsabihin lahat na gawin as far as you and Sen Trillanes are concerned and the opposition lahat mali na. So I think the President will appreciate it more kung maging objective ang criticism instead of too personal and too subjective.”
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