Friday, February 10, 2006
Arroyo assures fertilizer funds were 'well spent'
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo finally broke her silence on Thursday regarding the alleged misuse of the P728 million fertilizer fund, if only to assure the public that the fund could be accounted for.
"First of all, the P728 million fertilizer fund can be very well accounted for," Arroyo said during a visit in Pagadian City Wednesday afternoon, when asked to assure the public that the additional earnings generated by the expanded value-added tax (e-VAT) would not be diverted for other purposes like what allegedly happened to the fertilizer fund.
The fertilizer fund was reportedly released to cities, municipalities and provinces which are not classified as agriculture areas while some of those who reportedly received the allocation claimed that they have not received a single centavo from the funding program.
The President said she had started to inform the public of where additional earnings, including the P35 billion allotted for the pump priming of the country's economy, would be spent to avoid suspicions that erring officials would just take it. "Everyday, I'm announcing where P500 million of it will go, so that we will know where it is," she said.
She cited that at least P500 million would go to various road projects throughout the country, including the P100 million or one-fifth of the entire amount that would fund the completion of the long delayed Zamboanga-Pagadian national road project.
Last Tuesday, Arroyo also ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release another P500 million for the purchase of textbooks and reading materials for elementary students.
Malacañang had said that the P35 billion would go to housing, education, health, infrastructure and modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) chairperson Constancia de Guzman said the commission could not investigate former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante because he is no longer connected with the government.
De Guzman said the commission's mandate is limited to investigating presidential appointees. She added that the last time she heard, the Office of the Ombudsman would be looking into the case.
Bolante, after his resignation, reportedly went abroad and has yet to return to answer the issue. (JMR/Sunnex)
(February 10, 2006 issue)
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