Lacson: Why need additional COVID-19 funds if there are unused funds from 2019 budget?

Senator Panfilo Lacson urged economic managers to explain why the Duterte administration might ask for a supplemental budget for the country's coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response, considering that there are still billions of unused funds from the 2019 national budget.

Lacson made the remark after Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte might seek an additional budget to augment funds for the government’s efforts against the disease.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, Lacson pointed out that as of the end of the third quarter of 2019, there are around P1.3 trillion unused appropriations under the 2019 General Appropriations Act. The validity of some of the portions in the GAA, such as maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) and capital outlays, has been extended to December 31, 2020.

Out of the P1.3 trillion, around P989 billion comes from the executive branch, particularly from agencies that were not able to fully spend their respective allocations.

"May savings pa, may unused pa sa 2019. Dapat puwedeng gamitin din 'yun kasi extended pa 'yung spending validity. So puwedeng kumuha sila doon. Mas dapat ngang kumuha doon dahil hindi talaga nagamit ng ahensiya 'yun," Lacson said.

"Ngayon ang tanong: Bakit tayo kakapusin? Hindi ko lang maintindihan ito kaya dapat maipaliwanag din nila kung magkakaroon kami ng pagdinig tungkol dito.... So kailangan maipaliwanag ng DBM, ng NEDA, ng DOF, sabihin na rin natin ang National Treasurer, nasaan 'yung pera?" he added.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government needs authorization from Congress in order to tap more funds for COVID-19 response.

“May pondo po tayo. Ang problema po kinakailangan siguro talagang mag-enact ng supplemental budget ang Kongreso kasi hindi namin magagastos iyong iba pang mga pondo na walang mandato ng ating mga mambabatas," he said in a radio interview on Friday.

He expressed confidence that lawmakers will grant such a request.

Congress passed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which gave Duterte additional powers to effectively respond to the crisis, in a marathon special session on March 23.

Lawmakers then said that there are around P275 billion off-budget funds that can be used to help address the COVID-19 crisis on top of the funds from the 2020 General Appropriations Act that can also be tapped.

Government data showed that P352.7 billion out of the P397 billion available funds have been spent already for COVID-19 response, according to Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III earlier said the funding requirement to address the COVID-19 crisis has been raised by the government to P1.49 trillion. —Erwin Colcol/KG, GMA News