Palace defends DBM policy of withholding funds pending compliance with requirements

Malacañang on Thursday defended the policy of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to withhold the release of funds for congressional initiatives.

Some items under the 2020 General Appropriations Act, particularly those that were supposedly congressional insertions, were categorized under For Later Release (FLR) while President Rodrigo Duterte was reviewing the budget bill submitted by Congress.

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday called “arbitrary” the DBM’s decision to tag the funds for congressional initiatives as FLR, adding the role of Congress in the budget authorization process has been rendered useless.

However, Roque said the FLR policy was necessary.

“Iyong FLR po naging necessary naman po iyan dahil siyempre, kinakailangan muna natin gastusan iyong pinaka-importanteng mga bagay na related po sa COVID-19 [pandemic],” he said at a news conference in Bohol.

“Iyan naman po ang assurance natin for later release, iyong mga infrastructure dahil uunahin muna natin ang COVID-19 expenses.”

According to the DBM, FLR items are those whose release is subject to compliance with specific conditions, such as documentary requirements and approvals from appropriate authorities.—AOL, GMA News