TWO lawmakers have sought a congressional inquiry into the status and manner of utilization and disbursement by government agencies of the Bayanihan 2 funds that led to its portion remaining unspent upon expiration last June 30, 2021.

“The expiration of unspent Bayanihan 2 funds simply means one thing: we deny our people of their much-needed help and assistance amidst this COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-19) pandemic when they are already grappling to survive. It is necessary that we look into why this happened and track any bureaucratic bottleneck, inefficiency or negligence that might have led to the lapse of the funds,” Deputy Speaker and Citizens Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) party-list Rep. Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” Villanueva said after filing House Resolution (HR) No. 1913 along with CIBAC Rep. Domeng Rivera to investigate the matter.

“It is for this reason that CIBAC filed House Resolution 1913. The findings that will be gained through the called-for investigation will be very helpful for Congress to scrutinize the 2022 proposed budget that will be submitted by the President and to ensure that all appropriations therein are need-based, data-driven and truly responsive to our existing problems,” Villanueva added.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in its utilization report of Bayanihan 2 funds posted on its website, revealed that some P18.4 billion funds remained unspent as of May 31, 2021. However, as of July 1, it said that only around P9 billion remained unspent.

According to the May 31 DBM report, among the expenditure items with low utilization rates are the stimulus packages for the agricultural sector, the allocation for the implementation of digital basic education and provision of subsidies and allowances to qualified students, continuous COVID-19 laboratory testing services of the Department of Health (DoH), the hiring of Human Resources for Health (HRH) personnel, and funding for the operation of various COVID-19 facilities nationwide, hiring and training of contact tracers.

Rivera expressed wonder why the Bayanihan 2 allotments were not disbursed when it was obvious that there was real and compelling demand for such in the ground.

“Sobrang kailangan ng mga kababayan natin ang mga pondong ito, kaya nakakapagtaka bakit hindi ito naibababa ng ating pamahalaan. It is just a matter of obligating or committing these funds to the purposes laid down in Bayanihan 2 law so that the same will not revert to the Treasury anymore,” Rivera lamented.

Meanwhile, the CIBAC lawmakers also support calls for Congress to have a special session to pass a legislation that will further extend the validity of Bayanihan 2 funds.

The CIBAC lawmakers pointed out that a law extending the validity of Bayanihan 2 funds and authorizing its use is necessary so that the government can use it.

“Or else, the unspent funds will be pooled into savings which might have the danger of being utilized not for COVID-19 pandemic response efforts,” they said.

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Ryan Ponce Pacpaco