Sen. Lacson chaired the hearings for the budgets of the Commission on Human Rights and the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office for 2020. He heads the Senate finance subcommittee tackling the budgets of the two agencies.
QUOTES and NOTES:
CHR BUDGET:
“Lets cut to the chase. You (CHR) requested P3.116 billion (for 2020), ang approved and kasama sa NEP, P819.665 million. Ang tanong ng chair, what Programs, Activities and Projects will be adversely affected by the massive cut? What do you think are must-implement PAPs?”
Sen. Lacson also noted the cuts in the NEP for the CHR’s 2020 budget include travel expenses by P9 million; training expenses by P8 million; office supplies by P3 million; and research by P5 million.
Lacson, who chairs the Senate finance subcommittee that covers the CHR, had moved to augment the CHR’s budget by P233.21 million for the 2017 budget; P156.432 million for the 2018 budget; and P134.833 million for the 2019 budget.
For his part, CHR Chairman Jose Luis Martin Gascon noted the CHR is the only Commission in Southeast Asia with a forensic unit… forensic experts can testify in court. But they are kept busy because they have to appear and testify in court.
PLLO BUDGET:
Meanwhile, Sen. Lacson reminded the PLLO to address the issue raised by his fellow senators regarding the agency’s perceived failure because of so many vetoed bills. “Parang record-high ang vetoed bills under your watch.”
“If there is closer coordination between the executive and legislature, probably we can avoid vetoed bills.”
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