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Lacson: Funds for congressional initiatives impounded by Executive


"Substantial" allocations set aside for congressional initiatives in the national budget have been impounded in effect after the Executive department tagged them "for later release", Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Wednesday.

Lacson estimated allocations tagged as FLR to run into the hudreds of billions of pesos.

Lacson also called "arbitrary" the Department of Budget and Management's decision to tag the funds for congressional initiatives in the 2020 General Appropriations Act as FLR.

"Rendered inutile ang role ng Congress, both houses, for that matter doon sa budget process... Basta nakita nilang congressional initiatives or amendments na inintroduce ng Lower House at Upper House parang automatic nang ginawa nilang for later release," Lacson told reporters in an online interview.

"Ang implication niyan hindi talaga nila ire-release. Naka-impound na 'yun. Parang euphemism lang 'yun for impoundment, 'yung for later release," he added.

Lacson said he understood that the COVID-19 pandemic required the realignment of funds but underscored that the agencies should have been consulted in identifying which items may be tagged as FLR.

He said even crucial projects in pursuit of the Executive branch's agenda had been left hanging.

"I would suggest sana sa DBM na konsultahin man lang sana nila mga agencies—not the senators, not the congressmen—the agencies and find out which among the PAPs, the projects, activities or program sa mga department nila ang 'di nila kaya ma-implement," Lacson said.

Lacson said his office had been looking into how much of the budget had been tagged as FLR through a budget circular issued by the DBM.

He said he estimated the FLR funds to be in the hundreds of billions.

This was the first fiscal year that such a pattern has been observed, according to the senator.

"Bakit pa kami nagre-review ng NEP kung at the end of the day, when the President already approved the GAA, hindi rin ire-release lahat ng congressional initiatives?" he said.

This matter will be raised during the plenary debates for the proposed 2021 budget in the Senate, according to Lacson.

"I want to hear the explanation of the DBM in this regard," he said, hoping that this practice would not be repeated in the next fiscal year. -NB, GMA News

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