In an interview, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– bicameral conference committee discussions on the 2019 budget
– Sulu church bombing
Quotes from the interview…
On the need of some congressmen to have funding for projects in their districts:
“We acknowledge that. Realistically meron talaga sila sa district nila na di napasama sa NEP na maaaring nakaligtaan o kaya hindi naasikaso ng ahensya na pwede nila balikan pagdating ng period of amendments.”
“As long as nanggaling sa ahensya at kumpleto ang planning, may consultation sa national government agencies concerned. Halimbawa may papagawa silang tulay na matagal nang hindi napapagawa. But it should go through proper consultation para ma-vet ng ahensya na mag-implement. Otherwise magiging unused yan.”
“(Ang tig-P60M per congressman), Arbitrary yan. Kasi kung tig-60M, naka-ready ba ang agencies to implement?”
“Kasi kung di kailangan ng distrito at papagawa mo ng kalsada, paano mo implement yan? Walang planning.”
On how much the Senate is willing to ‘give way’:
“Walang definite. We made some computations. Kung mag-isip tayo halimbawa sa P50B, walang hard and fast rule. Kailangan talaga ayusin based on needs and priorities of the districts.”
“In the first place ang senators walang definite constituency. Lahat kami elected at large. Pero hindi mo maiwasan may lumalapit sa senador na mayors, congressmen. So it boils down to conscience.”
“They will have to defend. Ang naging usapan, we retreat to our house, they go back to their house. Mag-consensus sila, mag-consensus kami. Ano baa ng ia-allow naming individual amendments? Kung tingin namin di dapat ma-adopt sa budget kasi obviously hindi institutional.”
On institutional amendments:
“In my case, ang amendments ko umabot ng P20+ billion. Pero those are all institutional and I’m even willing to give you copies of my amendments. For example, ang P4.78-B para i-activate ang isang infantry division sa Mindanao. I acted on that based on the request from the DND and AFP.”
“As far as I’m concerned klaro sa akin ano individual amendments, ano institutional. Sa akin ang bottom line pag nag-realign ka ang nasa isip mo commission, automatically pork kaya ka nag-insert ng halimbawa 20-30M hanggang umabot ka 2.3-2.7B, having in mind nagko-compute ka magkano kaya 10% ko roon, that’s clearly pork na hindi naman talaga kailangan ng distrito mo. Naglagay ka lang doon kasi may kausap kang contractor.”
“Dumating ang AFP sabi nila, ‘Sir hindi napondohan ang activation ng isang infantry division.’ ‘Magkano requirements nyo riyan?’ Multi-year naman ito. And then ang PDEA for example, mag-train kami ng bagong tao kailangan namin sa funding, dinagdagan ang pondo. CHR sabi nila kailangan pagawa ng facilities nila, sige submit your recommendations and I will take it up with my colleagues.”
On insertions in the budget:
“Kaya nga sinabi ko kanina even the Senate is guilty of you know, inserting so much because sa findings namin, initial analysis, may province na nakakuha ng P2.7B, may P3.2B, may P2.3B, ang lalaki. So yan kasama sa paguusapan. Paano mo ija-justify yan, 1 province alone, province ng senador, maski wala siyang district, makakakuha ng P2.7B? If he or she can explain successfully and convincingly, adopt natin as institutional amendments. Sa nakita namin flood control, multipurpose, anong klaseng institution yan?”
On the timetable for the bicam to pass the budget:
“Yan ang best effort namin. If not this week kailangan pagdating sa Monday nagpipirmahan na kami ng bicam report. Para pagbalik ng Wednesday because I understand Tuesday is a holiday, that’s the Chinese New Year, kailangan ratification na. Otherwise we’ll have to extend for say 3 days more. If not papatawag ng special session ang Malacanang.”
On the Jolo church bombing:
“Let’s wait for the AFP and PNP to finish their investigation. Initially meron silang person of interest na nakita through CCTV linking the person to the ASG. Hintayin natin kasi at this point lahat na sasabihin natin speculation.”
“These are all speculations. We should base whatever we want to believe sa investigation na kino-conduct.”
On the PNP going on nationwide heightened alert:
“Tama lang.”
On the bombing despite martial law in Mindanao:
“Yan ang malungkot. Kasi wala naman talagang additional powers ang martial law na binibigyan natin. Naroon ang reglamentary period, warrantless arrest na sa RTC still in effect, wala naman eh. Psy ops lang ang martial law.”
*****