Lawmakers question P10-B calamity fund

Opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Monday thumbed down Congress’ plan to immediately approve a P10-billion supplemental budget that is being sought by the national government to augment the country’s depleting calamity fund. They said that before they support such measure, the government and the leaders of both houses of Congress should explain first, among others, how the P2 billion calamity fund this year was suddenly down to only P24 million. "Before we give in to that demand for additional budget, may gusto pa tayong ilinaw (There are things that we have to clarify first)," said Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño during the weekly press conference of the House minority bloc. He said details like how the P10-billion figure was arrived at, how it would be spent, and from what sources it would be taken from should also be clarified. Congress leaders last week agreed to augment the country’s calamity budget in the wake of tropical storm “Ondoy," which left millions worth of damages in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Close to 300 people died in the storm. Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto Guingona III, however, said there was no need for a supplemental budget. He said the government's P140-billion savings in 2008 could be used to help the victims of Ondoy. "The savings came from budgeted amounts which have been impounded and not released by the President. The savings of P140 billion in 2008 alone is more than enough to augment the calamity fund," he said in a statement. The minority congressmen proposed several possible sources of the supplemental budget – from allocation for debt servicing to their own “pork barrel." Anakpawis Rep. Joel Maglunsod proposed a moratorium on the country's payment of foreign debt to prioritize the provision of relief goods to victims of Ondoy as well as typhoon "Pepeng," which lashed Northern Luzon over the weekend. Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza and Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello said lawmakers' pork barrel (Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF) should be allocated for relief operations. Maza and Bello said their respective organizations are willing to have their pork barrels allocated for the cyclone victims, but lamented that they have not been receiving their pork barrels for the past few years. Every lawmaker is entitled to a P70-million pork barrel each year. - GMANews.TV