Imee Marcos asks DOF amid COVID-19 crisis: Bakit kasi nagkukuripot?

The Department of Finance (DOF) should identify more budget in order to sustain government efforts against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as the enhanced community quarantine may continue beyond April 30, according to Senator Imee Marcos on Wednesday.

"Hindi economic target ang dapat hinahabol natin ngayon kundi buhay ng tao. Bakit kasi nagkukuripot ang DOF kung marami naman ang pwedeng pagkunan ng pondo?" Marcos, who chairs the Senate Commitee on Economic Affairs, said in a statement.

"Ngayong Abril pa lang natin malalaman kung ano ang totoong sitwasyon, lalo na ang mga kasong hindi naitala dahil sa dating kakulangan ng mga test kit. Hindi imposible na aabot ng May or June ang lockdown para sa kapakanan ng lahat," she added.  

GMA News Online has contacted the DOF for comment but has yet to receive a reply.

Around P550 billion could augment the P200 billion off-budget fund that was initially earmarked for emergency subsidy to poor Filipino families, Marcos said.

She mentioned that the DOF could borrow up to P440 billion without exceeding the manageable debt ceiling of 5.4%, noting that the government currently maintains a 3.2% level.

Unused savings from the 2019 national budget, calamity and contingency funds of government agencies could also be tapped as additional funds, she said.

Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act gives authority to President Rodrigo Duterte to realign available government budget to augment the ongoing COVID-19 response.  

According to Duterte's second report to Congress on Monday, more than P189 billion in unreleased funds from the continuing 2019 and current 2020 national budgets could be used for efforts amid the health crisis.

DOF Assistant Secretary Antonio "Tony" Lambino II on Tuesday said funds from unobligated budget items in the past three years may be realigned to government initiatives against COVID-19, 

"Meron po tayong pinagkukunan ng pondo na mga budget items na hindi pa na-obligate over the past two years, three years ng ating general appropriations act (GAA). Puwede nating kunin 'yun... tapos i-align para dito sa ating mga COVID-19 initiatives," he said.

On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon suggested to realign some of the government funds for infrastructure projects in order to keep up with the country's most pressing needs as it wrestles with the contagion.

Drilon said under the Department of Public Works and Highways' budget, P113 billion was allotted for road widening and diversion, P90 billion for flood management program, P52 billion for road construction, and P30 billion for bridge construction.

In response, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Duterte administration has yet to tap the funds for its flagship program "Build, Build, Build" as these projects are being eyed as mechanisms to jump-start the economy after the COVID-19 situation stabilizes. —With a report from Ted Cordero/KG, GMA News