COA, OMB asked to check if savings used as pork barrel
HOUSE Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate and Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares have called on the Commission on Audit (CoA) and the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate whether the supposed savings are used as pork barrel.
“There is a National Budget Circular 586 trying to collect the expected savings from the FY 2020 GAA from agencies,” Zarate said.
“This NBC 586 covers released allotments under the FY 2020 GAA which remain unobligated until May 15, 2021, but not expressly earmarked for the implementation of programs / activities /projects addressing the (coronavirus disease-19) COVID19 pandemic and can be realigned by the president as he sees fit, this is a Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP)-like savings and a form of presidential pork,” Zarate, a Davao-based lawmaker, said.
“Without proper accounting, we cannot blame the people for thinking that this administration is trying to create an enormous war chest in the run up for the 2022 elections,” Zarate said.
Meanwhile, Colmenares said “such a type of savings due to underspending of agencies can be realigned to projects of administration candidates.”
“Worse these so-called savings could easily be realigned to augment selected projects for selected people at the discretion of the Executive Branch,” Colmenares added.
“We challenge the Duterte administration to officially report the overall savings since 2017 and inform the people where these savings supposedly went.” Colmenares added.
“The CoA and the Ombudsman must investigate if much needed funds for COVID-19 are being used for the premature election campaigning of administration candidates. Budgetary items such as the Allowances for Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) is vulnerable to becoming pork barrel when distributed to mayors and supporters all over the country,” he said.
