In an interview, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– hazing at PMA
– possible pork in the 2020 budget
– corruption at BuCor

QUOTES and NOTES:

On overlaps at DPWH:

“Mga overlaps. That’s why we presented some representative samples. We noticed sa implementation may overlaps na 1 project 300 linear meters. So ang tanong doon, since dapat nakatipid ang DPWH ng something like P11.54M, hindi naka-reflect na nagbawas sila ng costs. Ang tanong natin saan ang P11.54M? Another project sa flood mitigation sa Sorsogon, ganoon din. May overlap siya na 344 linear meters, so dapat may natipid yan pero di naka-reflect. So yan ang hinahanap natin. And these are just representative samples. Naghahanap kami ng similar na mga projects kung saan dapat naka-reduce ng costs pero di naman ni-reflect. So ito ang waste of government resources na dapat… kasi ang laki ng kanilang budget sa feasibility study, P7.2B for 2020 as requested. So year in year out, sa P7B ang feasibility study ang budget pero bakit mukhang may problema sa planning and viability ng engineering study at saka ang viability ng project?”

“That we have to find out kung deliberate or not the fault at all ng DPWH. Probably these are insertions made by the legislators, not just HOR but even the Senate. Remember, kasi pag nag-insert ka at walang coordination with the agencies, talagang mamamali yan kasi walang planning eh. Nakikita natin. Now you can see the sense why I keep questioning ang mga insertions or realignments made by congressmen and even senators na walang coordination with the implementing agencies, because the disconnect will always be there.”

“Hindi (satisfied with DPWH explanation on why 65 percent of budget is kept in the central office). Kasi the usual response nila pag tinatanong ko ang 65-35 distribution sabi nila lagi dina-download din naman namin sa mga regions. Ganoon din pala, why should we lodge it in the CO tapos download mo when Engineering and Administrative Overhead, may cost yan. Pag CO, 3.5% ang kinakaltas for EAO. Kung sa region makakatipid agad ng 1% and 1% of P349B you can just imagine malaki yan. Even kung i-download further sa DEOs, 2% lang ang EAO. Di ba mas maganda kung makakatipid ang gobyerno? Change na lang description natin considering hundreds of billions ang appropriations sa DPWH, and we are only talking of say P500M. Pero P500M is still P500M in potential savings di ba? These are small things. Kaya kami we take the pain of going into details because pag pinagsama-sama mo ang overlaps, baka ang P11M baka P110M na o P1.1B na aabutin.”

“That’s another issue. May homework kami sa DPWH na on or before plenary debates kailangan submit nila sa amin ano ang action taken even against contractors na na-rescind ang project, tapos nag-violate sa maximum 10% sa delay. So ang tanong namin sa kanila, how would you liquidate all those, P118B. Isa P53B. Ang lalaki bilyon-bilyon. We need a compliance from DPWH to satisfy our requirements that will be… They won’t hear the end of it because once they face us during the plenary debates I’ll bring this up once more to find out if they complied.”

On hazing in the PMA:

“Hazing is as old as discipline itself because weapon yang ginagamit. Over time dapat meron nang ibang naging creative na ang kadete dahil with the passing of time, marami nang mga batas na naipasa ang latest ang amendment dahil sa Atio Castillo hazing case. So yung mga kadete involved, they never learn because iba na ang situation. During our time, when you are caught hazing, ang punishment is dismissal or suspension. Meaning, you get turned back and join the class following or succeeding the class. But now it’s different, it carries capital punishment.”

“Kaya while it is tragic that 4th Class Cadet Dormitorio is now dead because of hazing, I cannot feel but pity those who are involved in the hazing of 4th Class Cadet Dormitorio simply because hindi na lang administrative ang sanctions na haharapin nila, kundi they face a potential imprisonment of 40 years. And these people, the upperclass cadets, are now at the prime of their lives, sa mga early 20s or not even 20-year-olds. But then they face the possibility of spending the rest of their lives in prison.”

“Sabi ko nga, ang hazing is part of the disciplinary mechanism. But times have changed and the cadets should be able to innovate. Dapat sila they go with the flow, hindi na pwede ang hazing and they should avoid physical contacts. Because may exception naman sa amendment sa hazing law na ginawa namin, ang military and police training may exceptions doon. If you require your trainees to undergo some physical exercises, di kasama yan as long as it is within the guidelines ng SND or Napolcom. Pero physical contact is really a violation of the hazing law.”

“Ang physical exertions that’s part of training. You are required to climb a mountain or hill for example, or run hundreds of kilometers, that could be allowed under the exceptions sa anti-hazing law we passed. Pero pag physical contact na, that’s a clear violation of the anti-hazing law.”

“Yan ang ini-indicate (that hazing occurred in the PMA). Because 3 upperclass cadets are already confined in the military stockade in Fort del Pilar. And initial findings ng pulis, meron talagang hazing na nangyari because may internal hemorrhage doon sa medico-legal examination na ginawa kay 4th Class Dormitorio, obviously may injuries sustained.”

“Yung law kasi hindi na kailangan (ng Senate inquiry). Ang law is very clear and this is a clear violation of the anti-hazing law as amended. They should not cross the threshold of punishing the plebes or trainees. Maliwanag naman yan.”

“(Including hazing in the list of heinous crimes) was a suggestion made by the Atio Castillo family. Let’s see ano ang sentiment ng Congress along this line.”

On possible pork in the 2020 budget:

“Wala pa ang HOR version. We’ll wait for the transmittal of the GAB as approved by the HOR before we compare kung ano ang nag-balloon from NEP to the HOR version.”

On P100M reportedly allocated to the districts of each congressmen:

“By their own admission at least ni Rep Salceda, P100M per congressman, it won’t sit well with us, sa akin particularly, because hindi dapat pare-pareho ang allocation sa districts. It should be need-based and priority–based. Because there are districts that would need more than other districts. Bakit mo gagawin equal ang distribution ng infrastructure and even soft projects na P70M ang infra and soft P30M, mukhang hindi tama.”

“Wala pa kasi they are still in their period of amendments. So we will wait for the final version of the HOR bill, ang GAB2, to find out ano ang difference nito from the NEP as submitted by the President.”

“According to Rep Salceda, it’s already incorporated in the NEP. That’s fine. Kung naroon na talaga, ibig sabihin it underwent study by the agencies concerned. But kung bigla na lang nilabas yan doon, ganoon ang nangyari sa Masbate, halimbawa sa overlap, I think it was Rep Bravo who realigned some budget for Project 1, na tinuloy. But there seems to be lack or absence of coordination with DPWH. That’s why nangkaroon ng overlap na 300 linear meters. Sa Sorsogon ganoon din, flood mitigation walang physical target pero may amount. At ang sabi ng resource persons, ngayon pa lang nila ia-identify ang physical target. Dapat nauna yan kasi yan ang kasama sa feasibility study. There’s always a disconnect between implementation and the planning. Ang planning ginagastusan natin ng at least P7B annually, yet bakit hindi nagagamit ang pondo or parang mali ang paggamit sa feasibility study ng mga project?”

“Hindi pa sila tapos. They are still in the period of amendments. Na-pass lang nila ang plenary debates, meaning period of interpellation. So it is wrong to conclude they passed the HOR version of the budget in record time because they have not done that yet. They will still introduce their committee amendments and even their individual amendments. Ito ang mas tedious.”

“They have not finished yet the budget. Ngayon even as we speak, if they have already opened their session sa plenary, ngayon lang sila mag-introduce ng amendments.”

“That’s why we keep hammering sa issues until such time they will finally correct these oversights.”

On whether the P100M per congressman can be considered pork:

“Sinabi nila per district P100M. Nasaan ang items? Ano ang description? At nasaan yan? Kung introduce pa lang nila as individual amendments, na bawa’t isa P100M, if it is not pork, I don’t know what it is.”

“Okay lang yan as long as kayang implement ng mga agencies. Because ang lagi ini-insist ang post-legislation na saka lang mag-identify ng project pag pasado na GAA. Yan ang lagi na lang pang-justify sa SC ruling. Pero meron din sa ruling sinasabing abuse of discretion. And when congressmen and senators abuse their discretion in the exercise of their legislative work, meaning walang coordination, so whimsical, capricious ang pag-allocate nila ng pondo para sa project nila na wala naman alam ang implementing agencies, that is abuse of discretion, which is also a violation of the SC ruling.”

“Hindi pa natin nakikita. It’s just an admission made by Rep Salceda. For all we know, he may be disowned by some of his colleagues dahil siya lang nagsalita, wala pang nag-confirm.”

On P16B for 22 deputy speakers:

“That was the initial information we received. Hindi P16B. The initial report we received, each deputy speaker, 22 of them, will be receiving an additional allocation of P1.5B. Easily that’s P33B. Each congressman will be given an allocation of P700M. I hope that does not push through because that was a report transmitted to my office by some congressmen themselves. Na yan pinagusapan nila, para walang gulo, tig-700M. When we are talking of P700M per congressman, times 300, that’s P21B. Plus P33B per deputy speaker kung matutuloy na P54B in pork.”

“I hope they don’t push through with that initial plan. Or else makikita natin kung saan lolobo.”

“Kasi noon naman kaya nagkaroon ng stalemate at nag-reenact, they transmitted the HOR version of the budget so late, wala na kaming time to deliberate and introduce our own amendments, and so forth. But as long as they transmit to us the HOR version of the budget before we go on break on Oct 4, then we can rest assured na before yearend, before end of this year, tapos na ang bicam, enrolled bill na yan for signature of the President.”

“We have to look into it and validate. But the initial report my office received from some congressmen, tig-700M ang bawa’t congressman times 300, P21B, plus bawa’t deputy speaker P1.5B, that’s P33B.”

“I just hope they won’t push through with that plan kasi makikita at makikita yan and that’s a bit too much for members of the HOR to be given that much appropriation.”

“Kung naka-itemize, fine. Ibig sabihin kaya implement ng agencies.”

On the details of the executive session on corruption at BuCor:

“We will talk about it, we will discuss it. Once majority of the senators agree we can make public the discussion during an executive session, that’s it. Ako on my part, while I was not in attendance during the executive session because I was also presiding over another budget hearing, I was able to gather documents pointing to the identities of those police officials, even those who may possibly be involved, whether directly or indirectly, ang nakinabang sa sinasabing P50M in exchange for to change the arrested Chinese and the agaw-bato of 100 kg of shabu.”

“Some are still active because nangyari roon from an initial punishment of dismissal from the service, na-commute to mere suspension. I suppose kung naging suspension ang hatol administratively, ibig sabihin nito balik sila sa serbisyo. Kasi ang maximum suspension 6 months. So if it happened in 2014, then nariyan na sila. And kung ganoon talaga ang facts of the case as presented, that could have been a very grave offense constituting grave misconduct or grave abuse of authority.”

“Hindi nga demotion. Naging suspension ang dismissal. We are still trying to check if criminal complaints were filed against those policemen. Because if there is none, di pa prescribed, assuming the evidence are still intact, then they can still be charged.”

On no loan from China for foreign-funded projects:

“Grant yan ang 2 projects. Kung walang loans from China kasi alam kong kausap natin lalo sa subway project, JICA, Japan.”

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