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Tuesday, February 10, 2004
GMA may use budget for war chest: Pimentel
By Stephen Capillas
SEN. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said the Senate should hold its ground against the move of the Lower House to re-enact the 2003 national budget and convert it into a war chest for the Arroyo election campaign.
In a press statement, Pimentel said President Arroyo will have the discretion to spend about P100 billion for projects that would promote her candidacy.
That is, the senator said, if the P862.8 billion budget for the current year passed by the Senate will be shelved in favor of re-enacting the 2003 budget worth P811 billion.
Pimentel denounced an apparent conspiracy between Malacañang and the administration-controlled House of Representatives to reenact last year's budget with no other motive except to suit selfish and partisan political motives.
"It is obvious that there are concerted efforts on the part of some leaders of the House in connivance with Malacanang not to approve the new budget."
There is a P100 billion fund that they can play with if the 2003 budget will be re-enacted," the opposition senator said.
Pimentel said it would be the height of absurdity to revive last year's budget because this would mean restoring funds for programs and projects that have already been completed.
He said this would give the President full discretion to re-align funds for projects that are meant to generate votes for her, including those sponsored by congressmen supportive of her presidential candidacy.
Pimentel said it would be "irresponsible" to do away with the 2004 national budget because this would mean no specific funding allocations for new programs and projects for 2004.
One of the adverse consequences of non-passage of the 2004 budget, according to the senator, is the lack of authority to fund the coming elections, the salary upgrading of 120,000 men of the Armed Forces and hiring of new public school teachers.
Pimentel also asked how the government can legally utilize the $683 million (about P38 billion) Marcos funds for the comprehensive agrarian reform program and compensation for victims of human rights violations during martial law if Congress will not approve the new budget, of which the
recovered ill-gotten wealth is an integral part.
The senator from Mindanao branded the move to reenact the 2003 national budget as a grand deception.
(February 8, 2004 issue)
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