House, Senate to resolve fate of budget for unfilled posts

Even though Congress aims to have the 2012 budget approved three weeks from now, the House of Representatives and the Senate still have to determine whether or not to grant the unconditional return of funds for unfilled posts in fiscally autonomous agencies. Senator Franklin Drilon, chairperson of the Senate finance committee, said the fate of the controversial miscellaneous personnel benefit fund (MPBF) is one of the “contentious" issues that must be resolved before the approval of the proposed P1.8-trillion budget for next year. “Isa po sa pagdedebatehan ay itong budget ng judiciary at constitutional bodies… Sa amin po, unconditional ang release ng buong budget. Ang requirement lang namin ay reportorial. Kailangan pa po naming itong pag-usapan," he said Wednesday after the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed 2012 budget. The MPBF is a special purpose fund introduced by the executive into the proposed 2012 budget, supposedly to ensure transparency in the handling of government money. The fund impounds P23.4 billion of government allocations for vacant posts, which can only be released once the positions are filled. The Supreme Court opposes the MPBF, which supposedly violates the fiscal autonomy of the judiciary and other constitutional offices enshrined in the 1987 Constitution. The House agreed to restore P4.9-billion from the MPBF to fiscally autonomous agencies, provided that they will be banned from using the funds from purposes other than personnel benefits. The Senate, however, chose to return the funds without this special provision. ‘Middle ground’ Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, House appropriations panel chair, meanwhile said that he expects both chambers of Congress to resolve the matter before November 29, the target date for the ratification of the proposed 2012 budget. “We will also explain to them our reason for putting this provision. Hopefully we can adopt one of the two, or we will find a middle ground for both," he said in a separate interview. He added that both the Senate and the House left other items in the budget, including the P39-billion allocation for the conditional cash transfer program, intact. Abaya likewise said Congress remains hopeful that it will be able to transmit the proposed budget to Malacañang for President Benigno Aquino III’s signing on December 15. “I see this being passed on time. I see no problems in the House. I think pretty much is in agreement," he said. - VVP, GMA News