Former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is not very comfortable with the Executive Department’s withholding of the release of funds in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Lacson stressed it is high time to give more importance to the local government units’ needs and priorities in the national budget, as they are the backbone of our country’s development and livelihood.
“The GAA is already a law. If the executive branch withholds the release of funds mandated by law, I am not very comfortable with it,” Lacson, a keen watchdog of the budget, said in Filipino at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.
Related: Ping Lacson, Hindi Kumportable sa Pag-Withhold ng Pondo sa Budget Law
He said that while the Executive Branch may be taking such actions because the National Expenditure Program (NEP) was “mangled” by Congress, this could have been avoided had local development councils’ output been given more importance.
Lacson lamented only 20 percent of regional development councils’ output make it to the NEP, and the share becomes smaller as it goes through Congress.
“The local government units are the backbone of the country’s overall development and livelihood program. Giving them a fair and equitable share of the national budget will lead to the decongestion of the highly urbanized centers like Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, to cite a few examples,” Lacson stressed.
“I have always questioned on the floor why only 20 percent of LGUs’ output makes it to the NEP, when the function of development and livelihood lies with the local governments. As a result, there is a disconnect between the national budget and the needs and priorities of the local government units,” he added.
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Ping Lacson, Hindi Kumportable sa Pag-Withhold ng Pondo sa Budget Law
Hindi kumportable si dating Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson sa pag-withhold ng Ehekutibo sa pag-release ng pondo sa 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) o budget law.
Iginiit ni Lacson na panahon na para bigyang importansya ang pangangailangan ng mga local government units sa pambansang budget, dahil sila ang nasa likod ng kaunlaran at kabuhayan ng ating bansa.
“Kasi batas na yan. Pag withhold ng executive branch ang release ng pondong nasa batas na, parang hindi (ako kumportable),” ani Lacson, na masugid na tagabantay ng budget, sa Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum nitong Miyerkules.
Aniya, bagama’t nagwi-withhold ng release ng pondo ang ehekutibo dahil na-mangle ng Kongreso ang National Expenditure Program (NEP), posibleng naiwasan ito kung binigyan ng halaga ang minungkahing proyekto ng mga local development councils.
Ikinalungkot ni Lacson na 20 porsyento lang ng output ng mga regional development councils ang nakalusot sa NEP – at mababawasan pa ito pagdaan nito sa Kongreso.
“The local government units are the backbone of the country’s overall development and livelihood program. Giving them a fair and equitable share of the national budget will lead to the decongestion of the highly urbanized centers like Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, to cite a few examples,” aniya.
“Lagi kong kinukwestyon sa floor bakit 20% lang sa LGU, ang function ng development and livelihood nasa local governments. Nagkakaroon ng disconnect between the national budget and the needs and priorities of LGUs,” dagdag ni Lacson.
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