Ping Lacson Questions Inequitable, Distorted Flood Control Allocations in 2025 Budget

Inequitable and distorted allocations for flood control projects are back in the national budget – and with a vengeance.

This was one of the initial findings of Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson in his scrutiny of the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which he earlier noted had been mangled beyond recognition.

“We saw an item where a very small barangay in a small town received an appropriation of P1.9 billion. One small town got an appropriation of P10 billion. I will question if they can absorb that amount. Imagine, a P10-billion appropriation for a small town with 10,000 residents. It is an inequitable distribution of the budget,” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview on One News late Wednesday.

“I will seek clarification on this. What happened to the P10 billion appropriated to the small town? We saw that it is near a riverbank, but is it the only town with a riverbank? These appropriations are for flood control,” he added.

In Filipino: Ping Lacson, Kinwestyon ang ‘Inequitable, Distorted’ na Pondo ng Flood Control sa 2025 Budget

Lacson, who said he intends to start the 20th Congress “up and running,” is scrutinizing the items in the budgets for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

He noted that before he ended his last Senate term in 2022, he and then Sen. Franklin Drilon managed to have the appropriations for dredging and flood control projects removed from the budget, since these are the root of corruption.

Also, he cited information reaching him that a backhoe for flood control programs would be used only for show – being in action only when being inspected.

“We succeeded in removing them in the bicam before we termed out in 2022. Now they’re back with a vengeance,” he said.

Lacson lamented that before the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, senators had only P200 million in pork and congressmen had P70 million. Now, he said some senators have P5-10 billion, while some House members had as much as P15 billion.

He illustrated the country’s plight where it spends P16 billion but earns only P12 billion a day – thus needing to borrow P4 billion a day.

“If we don’t shape up in preparing the budget, we may end up having to borrow P6 billion a day in one to two years – and P10 billion a day after five years. Where will we end up then?” he said.

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Ping Lacson, Kinwestyon ang ‘Inequitable, Distorted’ na Pondo ng Flood Control sa 2025 Budget

Nakabalik na “with a vengeance” ang hindi patas at baluktot na alokasyon para sa flood control project sa pambansang budget.

Isa ito sa pangunahing natuklasan ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson sa kanyang pagbusisi sa 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), na aniya’y “mangled beyond recognition.”

“May nakita na kami doon na pagkaliit-liit na barangay sa napakaliit na bayan, nagkaroon ng appropriation na P1.9 bilyon. Pagkaliit liit na bayan nagkaroon ng appropriation na almost P10 bilyon. Dapat tanungin namin yan. Ako mismo tatanungin ko yan. Kaya bang i-absorb yan? Ang P10B ng napakaliit na bayan na ang tao mahigit 10,000. Per capita pa lang parang di na equitable ang distribution ng budget,” ani Lacson sa panayam sa One News Miyerkules ng hapon.

“Tatanungin ko, ipapa-clarify ko… Anong nangyari sa P10B na in-appropriate sa maliit na bayan? Nang nakita namin, may riverbank pero teka, isang munisipyo lang ba ang sakop ng riverbank? Bakit ang ibang munisipyo nakatabi na may kasamang riverbank, kasi flood control eh,” dagdag niya.

Ani Lacson, na sisimulan ang ika-20 Kongreso na “up and running,” binubusisi niya at ng staff niya ang mga item sa budgets para sa 2023, 2024 at 2025.

Bago natapos ang termino niya bilang senador noong 2022, tiniyak ni Lacson at noo’y Sen. Franklin Drilon na maalis ang appropriation para sa dredging at flood control projects, dahil ito ang ugat ng katiwalian.

Dagdag niya, may impormasyon siyang nakuha na ang backhoe para sa flood control program ay ginagamit lamang kung may nag-inspeksyon, at naka-parade rest kung nakaalis na ang inspection team.

“We succeeded before we termed out, nanalo kami sa bicam noon. E bumalik with a vengeance eh,” aniya.

Ikinalungkot ni Lacson na bago dineklara ng Korte Suprema na unconstitutional ang Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), ang PDAF ng mga senador ay P200 milyon at ang PDAF ng taga-Kamara ay P70 milyon. Ngayon, may impormasyon na may senador na may P5-10 bilyon, at ilang myembro ng Kamara ay may P15 bilyon.

Inilarawan ni Lacson ang sitwasyon ng bayan kung saang gumagastos ito ng P16 bilyon nguni’t kumikita lang ng P12 bilyon kada araw, kung kaya’t kailangan nitong mangutang ng P4 bilyon kada araw.

“Pag hindi natin pinatino ang national budget baka kalabasan niyan after 1-2 years inuutang natin P6 billion a day, after 5 years utang natin P10 billion a day. Saan tayo pupulutin?” aniya.

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