POTENTIAL candidates for the next polls should stay longer in their posts to ensure smooth deliberations of the proposed P3-trillion national budget for 2016, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said Wednesday.
Recto said that if Cabinet Cabinet members leave their posts as early as now, it would result in “poor defense of agency proposals and weak explanations on how the budget was utilized” when Congress starts its budget deliberations.
The senator said it would also be difficult for a newly appointed secretary to discuss how funds for this year’s projects were utilized.
“Better for Cabinet members who are planning to run for (higher) office to stay longer in their post so they will be able to defend their agency’s budget request for 2016 and report how they used the funds for the current year,” Recto said.
“If it’s a new appointee who will be defending a budget request in the billions of pesos, how can he give a satisfying explanation if he has barely warmed his seat?” he added.
Recto said the presence of incumbent officials is crucial during budget hearings because they have to liquidate past disbursements and justify why Congress should replenish agency’s funds or finance its new projects.
He added that incumbent Cabinet members need to defend their agency’s record and accomplishments.
“Both require institutional memory,” the senator said. “So it would be better if the one who’s been on top of all these for quite some time will be the one doing the explaining instead of someone who’s still on training wheels.”
Recto asked President Benigno Aquino III to issue a "hold departure order" to department heads who want to resign early to prepare for the next elections.
The senator said the most convenient time to allow those seeking to run for higher office is when Congress finishes the 2016 budget hearings, which is traditionally done before October.
The last day of filing of certificate of candidacies is on October 16, according to the May 2016 election calendar. A government official holding an appointive post is deemed resigned the moment he files his candidacy.
On Monday, Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II resigned from his post days after he was anointed by the President to be his preferred successor.
The President, however, rejected Roxas' resignation letter because he wanted him to stay in his post a little longer to accomplish pending tasks.
Other than Roxas, Vice President Jejomar Binay tendered his resignation as housing czar and presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers' Concerns.
Reports said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino, and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority General manager Mark Lapid are being eyed by the ruling Liberal Party to join Roxas' senatorial slate.
The three, however, have yet to announce their political plans next year. (Sunnex)