House to realign PDAF to national agencies

MANILA, Philippines (Updated) – The House of Representatives intends to realign to national agencies the P25.2-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) that will be removed from the discretion of the lawmakers under the proposed 2014 budget.

Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr said on Tuesday, September 10, this is an effort to find a way to continue district projects while removing discretion away from lawmakers. 

But congressmen have yet to agree on the details – such as how the P25.2 billion will be re-allocated to what particular agencies, and whether congressmen can still access these funds in some ways – said House appropriations committee chairman Isidro Ungab.

The House leadership convened a 5-hour closed-door session Tuesday, where about 100 congressmen aired their views on the abolition of the PDAF, which had recently become more controversial after what appears to be a collusion between lawmakers and fake NGOs to pocket it was exposed.

“We were very democratic on allowing everyone to speak,” said Ungab. “Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao pinasalita namin (We allowed them to speak). Consensus-building talaga.”

Despite the long meeting at the Ronaldo Andaya Hall, solons have yet to arrive at a general consensus on what to do exactly with the P25.2 billion.

In an interview after the meeting, Belmonte only said lawmakers are considering integrating the amount into the budgets of the Department of Health, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Department of Labor and Employment. 

“We will abolish the P25.2 billion, but we want to integrate them to departments but when you integrate them, it will be subject to the rules of the departments,” Belmonte said. 

Will congressmen still have access to these funds?

Belmonte said solons can do so “like anybody else,” but they can only “request” and no longer “command.” 

“Hopefully the concept that we have full control of [the PDAF] will be gone because really you can not dictate to these people what is contrary to their policies,” Belmonte said. 

Parochial issues

The appropriations committee hopes to address these issues and arrive at a consensus in the next executive session on Wednesday, September 11. 

What’s keeping solons from arriving at a final decision? They are still concerned about how district projects, such as scholarships and healthcare, will be funded. 

“‘Yung iba nag-voice out din na hindi naman papabayaan sana ‘yung mga umiiyak na ngayon na mga scholars nila, umiiyak na pasyente,” Ungab said. (Some voiced out their concerns, hoping that their scholars who are now weeping and their patients who are now weeping will not be abandoned.)

READ: Solons ask agencies to continue district projects

Marikina Rep Miro Quimbo said some lawmakers just want an assurance that their current projects, especially on education and healthcare, would still be funded, given that such services cannot be easily stopped. 

Oversight

There was one consensus reached by the lawmakers in Tuesday’s meeting, though, Eastern Samar Rep Ben Evardone said: For Congress to fully exercise their oversight functions. 

“We will require secretaries and department heads to report to the Speaker every quarter on their performance,” Evardone said. 

President Benigno Aquino III earlier announced he is abolishing PDAF and installing a new scheme, which will provide for the inclusion of lawmakers’ projects as line items in the budget. But solons said there was not enough time to require all House members to propose projects, especially since they are trying to beat the deadline to pass the 2014 budget to avoid reenacting the 2013 budget, which still includes PDAF allocations. 

The House independent bloc, led by Leyte Rep Martin Romualdez, on Tuesday also called on the majority bloc to make the sessions more inclusive. 

Earlier, the minority bloc, led by House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora, urged the House leadership to let lawmakers debate on the issue on the floor for the public to see.

House members will endorse the 2014 budget to the plenary on Monday, September 16. – Rappler.com