JV Ejercito: Projects lacking required documents to be removed

Senate Finance Committee chair Sen. JV Ejercito on Saturday said he would not allow projects without a program of works and other required documents to be included in the proposed national budget.

The House-approved General Appropriations Bill (GAB) has drawn criticism over alleged budget insertions amounting to more than P1 trillion.

“Hindi na tayo papayag sa mga proyekto na walang Program of Works, walang Certificate of Implementability, walang Regional Development Council approval, at walang geotagging, lalo na sa mga infrastructure projects,” Ejercito said in a radio program.

(We will no longer allow projects without a Program of Works, Certificate of Implementability, Regional Development Council approval, and geotagging, especially infrastructure projects.)

Ejercito said his team was reviewing 6,271 infrastructure projects in the GAB to check whether they complied with these requirements.

“Nililinya natin ngayon ang bawat entry, ang bawat proyekto. Talagang napakahirap kasi kailangan mong tingnan at busisiin ang bawat isa,” he said.

(We are going through every entry and every project. It is really difficult because each one needs to be examined and scrutinized.)

The senator also met with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Giovanni Lopez and his predecessor, former DPWH chief and now Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, to remove projects that lacked the necessary documents.

The DPWH had been given until November 3 to submit the documents justifying the additional projects. Those that failed to meet the requirements would be removed, Ejercito said.

He stressed the need to prioritize flagship infrastructure projects over regional projects.

Ejercito said major projects such as the North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway Project, Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge and Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project could generate jobs and attract investments in the long run.

He said he was aiming to finish the committee report by November 20, with plenary deliberations scheduled to begin on November 23. Plenary debates are expected to conclude by December 1.— MCG, GMA News

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