Duterte: Roxas, LP using bottom-up budgeting to buy votes

Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas and LP officials were accused by the camp of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte of bribing local chief executives via the government's bottom-up budgeting (BUB) program.

Roxas' promise, supported by President Benigno Aquino III, is offered to gain the support of local officials, Peter Laviña, spokesman of Duterte's camp, said in a statement issued Friday.

"Now we see a process with millions of government money being used as a ruse into voting for Roxas. BUB is officially a campaign kitty of the administration bet," Laviña added.

BUB is the process of preparing the budget based on the needs identified at the grassroots level – in this case local government units, including the barangay – in contrast to a bottom-down approach in which state leaders and officials decide where public funds should go. 

Laviña claimed that in Roxas' speech before members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines on Wednesday, he said more funds will be allocated for the BUB, which was implemented during his term as Interior and Local Government Secretary.

Likewise, Laviña accused Roxas of offering P100 billion or P1,000 for every Filipino annually.

"Mar is holding the life of every Filipino hostage by dangling P1,000 at the start of his presidential campaign, conditioning it on his fate come May 9," Laviña said.

"Clearly, the administration bet is resorting to bribery, offering money to local chief executives in the hope of winning their support," Laviña added.

At the National Assembly of the Liga ng mga Barangay at the Philippine International Convention Center on Thursday, Roxas mentioned that the expanded BUB program amounting to P100 billion covers LGUs that include the 42,000 barangays nationwide.

Roxas touted BUB as an “investment” in the development of cities and municipalities, regardless of the political affiliations of local leaders.

He said the P100 billion for the expanded BUB, which lets LGUs and communities take a more active role in the budget process, will come from the P800-billion capital outlay under the 2016 national budget.

Laviña cautioned local executives against being swayed by Roxas' promises.

"Let us not be fooled by this. This early, Roxas is already trying to buy local executives by promising them rewards," he said.

“He is as worse as Binay who is mired in allegations and cases of illegal wealth and corruption,” Laviña said.

LP hits back

Members of LP on Friday dismissed the allegation of Duterte's camp.

“It’s political season. You expect all of these attacks but we can defend it,” Senate President Franklin Drilon, one of the reelectionist senators fielded by the LP-led Daang Matuwid coalition, said. 

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, one of the spokespersons of LP, touted the BuB program as an initiative of the Aquino administration which directly benefits the people through LGUs and people’s organizations.

“It’s not a bribe but a program aimed at alleviating the lives of Filipinos. Mar is clean and his integrity has been untainted,” Erice said in a text message sent to GMA News Online. — KG/RSJ, GMA News