Nancy Binay quizzes DILG on housing project for informal settlers

The daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Nancy Binay, on Monday questioned the proposed budget of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), which is being headed by her father's political rival, Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas II. 

 

During Senate plenary deliberations on the 2014 spending plan, Senator Binay particularly challenged the DILG's basis in having P700 million for the housing projects for informal settlers.

 

"Ano po ba ang enabling law ng DILG to engage in the construction of buildings for informal settlers?" Senator Binay said on the Senate floor.

 

The senator particularly cited Executive No. 90, which identifies the National Housing Authority (NHA) as the "sole government agency engaged in direct shelter production." Vice President Binay chairs the NHA Board.

 

Senate finance committee chairman Francis Escudero, who was defending the DILG's budget, however told Binay that housing programs are not an exclusive function of the NHA.

 

Despite Binay's questions, the Senate plenary eventually approved the DILG's budget for next year.

 

Last week, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, another member of the opposition, also criticized President Benigno Aquino III's administration for not allocating a single centavo for the NHA to fund housing programs for calamity victims. 
 

Estrada said politics is "playing a big role" in the budget process, since it was the DILG which got funding for housing programs for informal settlers. 

 

Last Thursday, Escudero said the NHA will regain funding for housing programs for calamity victims. 
 

Vice President Binay defeated Roxas in the 2010 vice presidential race. Roxas, Aquino's running-mate in the 2010 polls, has a pending poll case against Binay before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

 

As early as 2011, Binay already made public his intention to run as president in 2016.

 

Roxas has been mum about his plans for the next presidential polls, but Senate President and Liberal Party vice chairman Franklin Drilon named the Cabinet official as the ruling party's standard-bearer for the 2016 national polls. —KG, GMA News