Budget chief denies naming senator in 'road to nowhere' mess

MANILA, Philippines – Budget secretary Rolando Andaya on Thursday categorically denied naming the senator responsible for the double entry of the P200 million appropriations for a “road to nowhere" C-5 extension project. “I did not name the senator. I did not," Andaya said in a telephone interview with GMANews.TV. Earlier Thursday, Senator Panfilo Lacson told members of the media that Andaya had already identified the senator but on the condition that it will be off the record. “Ang narinig ko si Secretary Andaya already identified kung sino yung senador na nag-insert nung P200 million kaya lang ginawa niya ito, pakiusap niya, off the record so I challenge the members of the media to be resourceful enough and get it directly from the horse’s mouth," Lacson said. An investigation has been sought in the Senate amid allegations of double insertions in the budget. Under a section on the 2008 General Appropriations Act, the Department of Public Works and Highways had an item for the construction of the President Carlos Garcia Avenue Extension from SLEX to Sucat worth P200 million. The same item appeared in the same GAA under “Urgent Infrastructure Including Local Projects," this time under the item "Construction of C-5 Road Extension from SLEX to Sucat Road," with the same amount appropriated for it. Lacson was earlier quoted as linking Senate President Manuel Villar to the “road to nowhere" project, to which the senate president vehemently denied, saying that he did not benefit from the redundant appropriations. Andaya, in a separate interview, said that the Department of Budget of Management has nothing to do with the double allocation and that the repeated entry was due to a “congressional insertion." - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV