The country cannot tolerate any more mangling of the national budget, much less unabated mangling.
On this note, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson aired support Wednesday for the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)’s moves to prevent insertions in the proposed P6.793-trillion budget for 2026.
“I couldn’t agree more with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman. The country cannot anymore tolerate unabated mangling of the National Expenditure Program which presumably has undergone months of preparation and consultations with the local government units and concerned agencies before being transmitted to Congress, (and if mangled) may not be responsive to the short and medium term development goals of the national government,” stressed Lacson, an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget.
In Filipino:Ping Lacson: Hindi Na Pwedeng Payagan ang Pagwasak sa Pambansang Budget
Dalawang malalakas na sampal ang tumama sa mga Pinoy sa panahon ng pandemya dahil sa mahigit na P63 bilyong hindi ginamit na pondo sa Bayanihan 2 – kasama ang P46.397 bilyon na “undisbursed” at P17.23 bilyong “unobligated,” ayon kay Senador Panfilo Lacson nitong Lunes.
Isiniwalat ito ni Lacson matapos ang pagsasaliksik ng mga naturang datos bunga ng unang akusasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na sinabi umano ng mambabatas na mababa ang paggugol ng pamahalaan sa mga pondo nito ngayong pandemya.
“We should keep in mind that underspending is determined not by fund releases but by obligations and disbursements. And based on my research, is there underspending? Yes!” banggit ni Lacson sa panayam ng Radyo 5.
Pandemic-affected Filipinos wait for aid from the government
No thanks to a P63 billion-plus underspending by the government under Bayanihan 2 – with some P46.397 billion undisbursed and P17.273 billion unobligated – Filipinos whose lives and livelihoods were affected by the pandemic have been hit with a double whammy as much-needed aid did not reach them, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said on Monday.
“We should keep in mind that underspending is determined not by fund releases but by obligations and disbursements. And based on my research, is there underspending? Yes!” Lacson said in an interview on Radyo 5.
Bakit hindi patakbuhin ang gobyerno katulad ng isang malaking pribadong korporasyon, para mas maging epektibo ito?
Kabilang ito sa mga usapin na inilatag ni Senador Panfilo Lacson sa pakikipagpulong sa mga negosyante sa Pampanga at mga lokal na opisyal ng Malolos, Bulacan sa pagsimula niya at ni Senate President Vicente Sotto III ng “Tour of Luzon,” na kinapapalooban ng apat na araw na konsultasyon sa iba’t ibang sektor para alamin ang saloobin ng mga ito sa kung paano makatugon ang pamahalaan sa panahon ng kagipitan at pandemya.
Sa kanyang pagsasalita, iginiit ni Lacson na maraming matututunan ang gobyerno sa pribadong sektor – kasama ang mahusay na pangangasiwa ng pananalapi at ang pagbusisi sa mga proyektong nagawa na o ginagawa pa – para mas mainam na makaresponde sa problema ng bansa lalo na sa panahon ng pandemya.
“This is something we want to discuss with you: Isn’t it a sound concept to run the government like a private corporation? For example, many consider Singapore a big ‘corporation,’ in the sense that investments by the people come back to them in the form of social services and other forms of public service. We want to learn from you on these things. We know the companies you run would not be successful if your decision-making is not sound,” banggit ni Lacson sa konsultasyon sa negosyante sa Pampanga.
“In the case of our government, in the preparation of the budget plan for example, instead of the Development Budget Coordinating Council (DBCC) through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) imposing a budget ceiling for the different agencies to work on, it should instead follow what private corporations do, like start from zero and make each of their departments to propose and justify before the board their annual budget,” dagdag ni Lacson.
