Representatives of the Senate and House met to discuss the passage of the P4.1-trillion 2020 budget. At the meeting, Sen. Lacson manifested for transparency, where the Senate and House will submit to each other the new amendments not yet included in their respective versions.
Sen. Lacson also said he expects the smooth and early passage of the 2020 budget bill, provided there is no move to introduce post-ratification amendments like in the 2019 budget. He also answered questions on issues regarding the SEA Games hosting, and the selection of a new PNP chief.
QUOTES and NOTES:
* BICAMERAL MEETING on the 2020 BUDGET:
Manifest for transparency:
“I manifested for transparency rin. They will submit to us through our chairman all the new amendments not yet included in the HOR version. In the same manner, we will also submit to them new amendments not included in the Senate version. And we’ll refer back to our house, they refer back to their house, and at least ma-limit na lang namin sa contentious issues ang discussion para hindi sabog.”
“Sa P9.5B because ang HOR version talaga as I mentioned to you earlier, wala naman talagang insertions eh. Ang P9.5B amendments nila are all institutional amendments, like sa DA, palay and DOH. May nagalaw lang na kaunti roon dahil dinagdagan namin sa DOH para matugunan ang Tier 2 sa medium cost man lang mag-approximate. Sa NEP P151B sa Tier 1 pero low cost, walang leveling up. Hindi nag-level up ang PAPs sa 2019. Sa 2019, P141B, ito sa UHC. So ginawa namin nadagdagan ng HOR yan, dinagdagan namin kasi requirements sa medium cost under Tier 2 para maka-level up tayo, meaning there are additional programs to be included under UHC program. And also para select barangays madagdagan ang barangays na ma-cover. Sa high cost, all barangays will be covered but ang funding requirement is too big, P257B. So nag-approximate na lang kami sa P241B as against the P141B na under Tier 1 and low cost. Kung hindi namin dadagdagan, parang walang UHC kasi walang leveling up, walang improvement, walang additional health programs, walang additional barangays na mako-cover.”
“Doon palitan ng new amendments, then Sen Sonny (Angara), our chairman will consult the members. Ito ang sa HOR, ito ang kung meron tayong bago, compare natin. Limit namin ang usapan. Wala naman masyadong tinamaan sa HOR version sa Senate version.”
“Magiging open yan. Because once they submit to us and once we submit to them … so many copies pag nag-submit. Pag gusto nyo consult namin kayo.”
Budget for nurses’ wage hike:
“Wala akong estimate. Ang nadagdagan namin (sa Senate), sa DND, DOH and of course sa nurse, although nanggaling yan sa MPBF under DOH. Nagtanggal kami P3.173B para mag-comply sa SC ruling para di maghintay ang nurses… That (salaries of nurses with higher wages) can be tackled later. Kung sabay-sabay natin, lalong magiging complicated. Kwentado na namin ang SG 10 and 11 na ma-upgrade ang SG sa 15, kaya 40K nurses, aabot P3.17B. Kung isasama natin ang SG 16-18 and so forth, lalong ma-complicate, lalong hindi matatapos ang budget kasi magkukuwentahan pa yan.”
DPWH budget issues:
“Ang nangyari kasi, DPWH, when I questioned lump sum appropriations, meaning hindi malinaw, mga vague ang description ng projects, that’s something like P45B. What they did, while dinelete nila ang kinwestyon ko, nag-introduce sila ng bagong projects worth P47B. And that is unacceptable. The DPWH, being an agency of the executive branch, cannot participate in amending the appropriations measure. Kami lang ang pwedeng mag-amend. Ang ginawa nila, effectively, ina-amend nila because they sent us a new list of projects. So yan ang medyo siguro magkakaroon ng kaunting paguusap dito pag tinackle namin because mga bagong projects yan. Kung may galing sa HOR members ang errata na submit sa amin ng DPWH, magkakaroon ng kaunting adjustments doon.”
“Binawasan din (ang DoTr budget). I think it was Sen Recto who slashed some of the budget because of underspending. Wala akong exact figures.”
Additions to DepEd budget:
“Ang nilagyan namin additional P6B sa Last Mile, ito mag-pilot test sila because napakababa ng utilization rate ng DPWH being the implementing agency sa school building nila. Ako nagpa-transfer ako within DepEd ng P12B para sa Last Mile in addition to the P2B already existing. Kasi kung hindi rin ma-implement ng DPWH because napakababa ng kanilang disbursement rate, sa 36% lang, we might as well authorize by way of the appropriations measure, authorize DepEd to implement their own school building program. So doon na namin nilagay.”
“Masyadong mababa ang obligation and disbursement ng DPWH because naka-lodge ang budget sa DepEd. Kaya tumataas, kung tingnan natin mataas ang obligation rate ng DepEd kasi by mere MOA sinasabi nila obligated na nila. Yun pala nakipag-MOA lang sila sa DPWH to build the school buildings. Pero ang totoo hindi naman talaga obligated yan in the real sense of the word kasi di pa ito na-award. Ang obligation pag sinabi nating obligated ang pondo, may Notice of Award sa contractor o sinisimulan na. Yung disbursement is another thing kasi pwede nag-obligate at nagko-construct pero hindi pa nababayaran. Yan ang disbursement. Ang disbursement rate ng DPWH, 36% sa kanila pa lang na PAPs. E papaano nila ma-attend-an ang school building program ng DepEd kung sa kanila mismo ang baba ng disbursement rate? So yan ang mga kumilos.”
House contingent’s banter:
“Mga biro-biro na huwag ako mag-aral masyado. Mga biruan lang.”
Expectations of early passage:
“Probably kung hindi Monday or Tuesday pagaralan namin ang additional amendments nila over the weekend. When ready na kami to address ang new amendments, we will meet again para pagusapan. Mali-limit ang usapan. Hindi na yung lahatan paguusapan namin. At least sabi ko for a more expeditious proceeding at mas systematic mas mainam pagusapan ang kaunti na lang para maipasa next week.”
“Ang problema lang basta huwag after ma-ratify namin. Pag nag-come up na kami with common version, reconciled version, wag nila ulitin ang ginawa noong panahon ni GMA, na-ratify ng Senate and HOR, nag-insert pa sila ng P75B. That is unacceptable, even unconstitutional. Kasi tapos na eh. Kaya blame game na kasalanan naming na-delay, we cannot accept that. Ang cause ng delay sa 2019 GAA approval, kasi tapos na bicam. Paano papipirmahin namin ang SP sa isang dokumentong hindi kami kasali? Kasi kasali kami ni-ratify namin. Ang enrolled bill after ratification, HOR nagpiprint at nag-initiate ng enrollment ng bill. E nang dumating sa amin napansin namin mali doon sa na-ratify ng both Houses. So bakit namin papipirmahin ang SP, madadamay pa siya?”
“Huwag gawin nila yan. Baka sa 1 linggo give or take sa printing 4 days, siguro before we go on break nasa Malacanang na ang budget… Ako I have high hopes House appropriations committee chair Sid Ungab, he stood his ground when some leaders of HOR were trying to withdraw, he stood his ground, sabi niya di pupuwede.”
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* SEA GAMES HOSTING ISSUES:
On tweet on presidential opinions:
“Sinabi ko ang president kasi di ba, pag close allies laging parang lily white driven snow na infallible, incorruptible. And we all know that’s not accurate at hindi talaga totoo… Basta kakampi, walang bahid ng corruption. And we all know that’s not true. At hindi na magiimbestiga kasi incorruptible.”
“I am not referring to except na-mention ko na nagkaroon ng issue ng corruption yet walang ginawang action and walang investigation. Case in point si Faeldon. Twice already sa BuCor and BOC, ang talagang issue, corruption. And yet there’s no investigation being conducted by the executive branch because the President has spoken he believes so much in Faeldon na hindi ito corrupt.”
“I’m talking in general terms. Kasi ang opinion ng President always matters, because he’s the President of the Republic, but not necessarily correct pag sinabi niyang ito hindi corrupt, hindi ibig sabihin hindi talaga ito corrupt. Aside from the name I already mentioned, wala akong pinapatungkulang iba, much less Speaker Cayetano.”
On PHISGOC issues:
“Wala namang nagsabing may corruption issue. We’re not yet there. Even Sen Drilon, when he pointed out the P50M cauldron, he never said may attendant corruption sa paggawa ng cauldron. Wala akong narinig. So it is wrong to assume we are already accusing PHISGOC of committing corruption.”
“Ang sa akin lang, point out ko, analogous lang sa mga cases na now pending in the Sandiganbayan and those that had already been resolved. Like the case of former Commissioner Padaca. When she was governor, ang coffers ng probinsya nalagay sa isang private foundation. Yan ang issue roon. But there’s no corruption involved. I’d like to emphasize na walang nag-a-accuse. Nobody’s accusing PHISGOC may corruption issue. There’s none.”
“He (President Duterte) is vouching for APC because that’s how he knows him. And I have no reason also to believe that there’s corruption or he is involved in whatever, kung may corruption sa PHISGOC, and I’d like to clarify again, walang nag-aakusa sa PHISGOC na may corruption. We’re not yet there.”
On potential probe of SEA Games woes:
“Kung may referral and na-refer sa Blue Ribbon Committee, we will conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation.”
“All aspects (ang iko-cover ng investigation). Pati ang transfer ng pondo ng government funds sa private foundation which is PHISGOC. Yan lang ang issue ko. And I’m not accusing them na may misspending unlike what Mr Suzara pointed out na ina-accuse ko silang may misspending or misspent funds. Wala naman akong sinabing ganoon.”
On challenge for a lie detector test:
“Ako ready anytime. Sa corruption? Anytime, gusto nila, di ngayon.”
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* SELECTING NEW PNP CHIEF
“That’s why I asked Napolcom to give OIC Gamboa the full powers of a CPNP. Kasi kung OIC ka lang hindi siya ex-officio member ng Napolcom, so wala siyang participation sa Napolcom affairs. Tapos di siya makapag-promote hanggang Lt Col kasi promote lang ng Presidente, Colonel up, yan ang presidential appointees. So yan ang pinakiusap ko budget deliberation by way of a Napolcom resolution ibigay sa kanya full powers ng CPNP so it won’t affect the full effectiveness of the organization. Kung kulang ang powers ng CPNP, ang apektado ang overall performance.”
“Ang appointment ng CPNP is always a prerogative of the President. I think right now as we speak they are undergoing vetting, ang mga candidates. There used to be 3 candidates, ngayon nagdagdag ng 2 1-star general. Kasi pwede naman under the law, pwede siya mag-appoint hanggang full Colonel.”
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