Diokno: No ‘insertions’ in DPWH budget, only ‘adjustments’

Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno clarified on Thursday that the P75.5 billion increase in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were not "insertions" but "adjustment" to comply with an earlier commitment to the agency.

“There is no insertion in the budget. That term is a misnomer. Changes during budget preparation are ‘adjustments’,” Diokno said in a statement.

“In the case of public works, the request of the DPWH was initially P652 billion, not P488 billion as Congressman Andaya mentioned yesterday. We initially approved P480 billion out of the P652 billion for DPWH, that could be where he got that number,” he added.

The Budget chief that in the final phase, the DBM found that the appropriation to the DPWH was still short of the government's commitment to disburse at least five percent of GDP for infrastructure.

“That’s why the budget of DPWH was adjusted by P75.5 billion,” he said.

GDP or Gross Domestic Product refers to the monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within the year.

National Expenditure Program (NEP) Archives The National Expenditure ... It contains the details of the government's proposed programs.

According to Diokno, the total budget for the DPWH, according to the National Expenditure Program (NEP), is P556 billion, lower than what the agency proposed.

The NEP contains the details of the government's proposed programs.

“So I don’t know where he (Andaya) got P51 billion. The math will show that the adjustment would be closer to P75 billion,” he added.

He also said that adjustments are normal during budget preparation phase.

“I’ve prepared at least ten budgets. Five during Cory’s term, two during Erap’s time, and three under this administration. Adjustments happen,” Diokno said.

Diokno has come under fire from several members of the House of Representatives for allegedly allowing "insertions" in public works budget in the proposed 2019 appropriations being deliberated in Congress.

During Tuesday's Question Hour, Majority Leader Rolando Andaya questioned Diokno for the alleged P50 billion insertions in the DPWH.  Andaya also claimed that certain Cabinet officials stand to benefit from the construction company that cornered 30 infrastructure projects worth billions of pesos.

Minority Leader Danilo Suarez disclosed during the Question Hour that projects amounting to P2.8 billion were allocated for Sorsogon province, where the parents of Diokno's son-in-law were holding government positions. —Llanesca Panti/ LDF, GMA News