Senators want Diokno, NEDA execs' physical attendance in POGO hearing

Senators are requesting the physical presence of Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) officials in the next hearing on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs).

This developed after the lawmakers expressed dismay over the lack of knowledge and authority to speak of the officials sent as resource persons at the joint investigation by the Senate committees on ways and means and on public order and dangerous drugs.

It was Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa who first requested the physical presence of the NEDA representatives after Assistant Secretary Sarah Lynne Ducanes was not able to expound NEDA's preliminary estimate that POGOs contribute about P79 billion in the Philippine economy.

Ducanes asked one of the NEDA's technical staff to give more details on these estimates but his internet connection was intermittent.

"Can I move that these representatives of NEDA  be required to be present here physically? Ang hirap naman ng presentation na gano'n. Mahina pa ang signal nila. Pawala-wala pa. Paano tayo magkakaroon ng clear na hearing dito?" Dela Rosa said.

(It's difficult to have that presentation. Their signal's slow. It's also intermittent. How can we have a clear hearing here?)

He said representatives from law enforcement and civilian groups were physically present at the hearing but the important government agencies officials were only attending online.

"Itong mga taga-gobyerno natin na NEDA, bakit ayaw magpakita dito? Paano makaklaro? Paano ang resulta ng ating hearing dito? E, nagpapasahan pa sila. Hindi pala alam kung anong sagot," Dela Rosa said.

"Mas maganda sana kung nandito sila," he added.

(Why don't they want to appear here, those from the government with NEDA? How can they clarify? What about the results of our hearing? They're also passing the questions among themselves. It turns out they don't know the answer.) 

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva backed Dela Rosa's sentiment, saying it was "unfortunate" that the NEDA representatives were not able to explain their figures.

"I hope and pray kung hindi man pupunta dito, make sure na malakas ang signal at masasagot yung tanong namin," Villanueva said, mentioning the possibility of calling NEDA chief Arsenio Balisacan.

(I hope and pray that if they can't make it here, they should make sure they have a strong signal and they'd be able to answer our questions.)

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who presided over the hearing, said he already reminded Balisacan to send someone who was knowledgeable on the matter if he could not attend the hearing.

"Of course, part of their review is the economic contribution of POGO. So NEDA is very important in this discussion and I'm very disappointed that the people who were sent cannot even answer how they came up with that P79 billion  and what is the P79 billion," Gatchalian said,

"So based on the motion of Senator Dela Rosa, we will require the NEDA to personally come to the next hearing," he added.

Dela Rosa pointed out that the inputs of NEDA, Department of Finance (DOF) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) were quite vital in the crafting of the Committee of Public Order and Dangerous Drugs' report on its investigation into the spate of kidnappings and abduction.

He said he needed the data so he could "submit conclusions and recommendations in our committee report based on factual data and not based on emotion."

"Gusto ko sana data-based ang ating magiging conclusion. Eh, paano tayo magkakaroon ng magandang conclusion at recommendation kung ang ating inaasahan na ahensya na magbigay sa atin ng kalinawan ay malabo ang presentation?" Dela Rosa said.

(I hope to come up with data-based conclusions. How can we have a good conclusion and recommendation if the agencies we're relying on to give clarifications come up with an unclear presentation.)

At the latter part of the hearing, Senator Francis Escudero also asked for the physical attendance of the finance secretary to enumerate the factors that they considered in concluding that the social cost outweighed the benefits of POGOs.

Escudero asked Finance Assistant Secretary Valery Joy Brion how the department computed the social costs of POGOs.

"At what point should we be earning for you to say the benefits will overcome the social costs? How did you come out with social costs far weightier than the revenue from it?" Escudero said.

Brion said the DOF had no figures at the moment but reiterated its position that it was "inherently different to quantify" the social costs of POGOs.

At this point, Escudero said it's "discretionary" on DOF's part and "arbitrary at best."

"So where is it based, ma'am? If it is not based on figures, where is it based? Interview? Survey? Perception? Emotion? Fear? What data is it based on?" Escudero asked.

Senator Grace Poe intervened and said that these questions would be best answered by Diokno.

"The questions of Senator Escudero are legitimate but I feel that it's more a philosophical answer that can be authoritatively stated by the head of the agency," Poe said.

"I understand also the hesitation of the representative of the DOF because she's merely reading a letter that is signed by the secretary himself," she added.

Escudero then asked the committee to invite Diokno in the next hearing, reiterating that secretaries can opt not to attend Senate investigations as long as their representatives can answer the lawmakers question sufficiently. —NB, GMA News