In an interview on ANC, Ping Lacson answers questions on:
* ‘Unfinished business’ in the Senate
* PhilHealth Funds and the OVP budget
* Political dynasties
QUOTES and NOTES:
* ‘UNFINISHED BUSINESS’ in the Senate:
“The Senate, like any institution, should evolve. Dapat hindi naman kailangan pare-parehong mukha ang bumabalik doon. But then, I’ll say it is up to the electorate. And I feel meron pang pwedeng gawin, may mga unfinished business like pending bills na di napasa.”
“For example, I kept filing ang amendments sa Bank Secrecy Act. Once you enter government as a clerk, janitor or president, dapat waive mo rights mo under the BSA. Unfortunately hindi lumabas sa committee man lang or at all. At minsan hindi pa na-hear sa committee. Ito ang unfinished business.”
“And when I witness ang mga nangyayari sa national budget, feeling ko, parang may magagawa pa ako to continue being a vanguard of the national coffers.”
“Basta i-judge na lang ako sa track record na nagawa ko for 18 years in the Senate. Sabi ko nga I don’t have to reinvent myself. I’ll just continue doing what I was doing when I was a senator. And I’d rather be judged and given a mandate based on my track record.”
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* PHILHEALTH FUNDS:
“In the 2024 budget, ito ang medyo anomalous as far as I’m concerned being a legislator. Dinagdagan nila ng 2. ang pagdagdag ng 2 special provision, include nila ang GOCC. Since PhilHealth is classified as a GOCC, pwede nila galawin ang pondo ng PhilHealth. And the fifth one, foreign-assisted project.”
“Ang GAA is a general law. All lawyers and legislators should know that a general law cannot amend a special law. What special laws am I referring to? Ang Philhealth Act as amended and UHC Act, very clear doon, na pag may excess fund ang PhilHealth gagamitin lang ito para ma-increase ang benefits ng members or babaan ang premium. So di pwedeng galawin under the PhilHealth act and UHC Act.”
“Ang UHC, ang provisions doon there should come a time, I think 3 years ang timetable, na each and every Filipino is entitled to health benefits. Hanggang ngayon nandoon pa tayo sa low-end or medium. So hindi pa tayo graduate sa high-end or full implementation. So yan ang kapuna-puna. I remember texting Sec Ralph Recto. Mukhang may problema tayo dito, nag-aalboroto ang health sector. Sagot sa akin, capacity issue. Meaning, PhilHealth is not able to absorb ang pondo na nasa kanila. Or spend, hindi na-obligate ang pondo. Ang PhilHealth kasi, being a GOCC, may investment sila, they are authorized to invest, marami silang magma-mature na securities, investments.”
“On the aspect of amending the special law using a general law, illegal ang aking pananaw. And I’m sorry to say, ang mga incumbent na nasa Congress whether Senate or HOR, if and when I have the opportunity to scrutinize the budget again, I will really strongly move to delete the 2 additional special provisions. Kasi ang tiingin ko nga, illegal because a general law cannot amend a special law.”
“Kung di mo titiyagaan di mo makikita. That’s why when confronted with the 2 additional provisions, maraming nagulat among our legislators. they didn’t notice na meron pala… Nalusutan talaga. At ito sa bicam nangyayari ito. Ako I also filed a reso na gawing transparent ang BCC. Ang BCC walang minutes yan. It’s considered the 3rd and the most powerful chamber pagdating sa budget bills. So open ang meeting, and then mag-a-appoint ng small group bicam composed of 2 persons, chairman of the appropriations committee and the finance committee chairman.”
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* OVP BUDGET:
“The budget as it was already transmitted to the Senate will undergo committee hearings and plenary debates in the halls of the Senate. So di pa yan final. But then it is the prerogative of the appropriations committee or Senate finance committee to make amendments on the proposed budget as contained in the NEP or the President’s Budget. For all intents and purposes, those are proposed legislations year in year out, pag submit ang GAB sa Congress, afterward it will be transmitted to the Senate. So it’s not yet final.”
“It is the prerogative or right of each and every legislator to question kung may nakikita silang matters or issues to be clarified. Di mo pwede pigilan out of deference to time-honored tradition.”
(On whether OVP should be funds for surveillance): “I don’t agree with that. And the COA is right. But then again di pa final yan, that’s just a notice of disallowance. And the OVP has the right to explain and clarify with COA to disprove the notice of disallowance. Let’s just wait for the final finding of COA in that regard.”
* UNPROGRAMMED FUNDS:
(On whether unprogrammed appropriations can be considered ‘super pork barrel’): “Ang Special Purpose Funds, only the President is authorized to use to augment the regular budget of the different agencies. Maski exaggeration ang tawag na super pork barrel, you can say that kasi pwede i-realign ito. Ang problema, under NEP, may nakalaan na pondo under the SPF and the unprogrammed appropriations. Pagdating sa Congress, both houses nagagalaw ito especially during BCC. Doon nagkakaroon ng realignments. Ang movements not only from regular budgets of the agencies to the unprogrammed fund, marami ring movement from unprogrammed fund back to the regular budget of the agencies. Yan na-notice namin in the 2024 budget.”
“We cannot consider it (unprogrammed funds) unconstitutional. Ang pwedeng sabihing unconstitutional, ang 2 additional provisions because in-amend ng general law ang special law.”
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* POLITICAL DYNASTIES:
“It’s about time we passed the enabling law on political dynasties. Walang definition eh. Blurred eh. Sabi sa Constitution kailangan ng enabling law ng Congress. Parang Catch 22, how could it happen when so many families in both houses are present?”
“Sa akin ang bottom line is democracy. Kasi pinili sila ng mga tao. We cannot do much about it unless we pass an enabling law to define political dynasties in our country.”
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* FVP ROBREDO:
“You know me to be a very forgiving person. Even those na nag-api sa akin for the longest time, sinabi ko I have forgiven them but I will never forget, quote ko si Kennedy, I will never forget their names. But I am a very forgiving person. Rightly or wrongly kung sino may kasalanan sa aming dalawa, I’m willing to make amends and let bygones be bygones.”
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