Lacson: Comelec spending ban shouldn’t include nat’l social services, ayuda

TAGBILARAN, Bohol — Presidential candidate and Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday asserted that social services and financial assistance from the national government should not be covered by the election spending ban.

At a press conference here, Lacson said that the country is experiencing a fuel crisis that affects the prices pf basic commodities.

“No [I don’t favor their inclusion in the ban], unless there is very clear jurisprudence along that line, may nag-question at nag-rule ang Supreme Court, then wala tayong magagawa [unless the Supreme Court has ruled on it, then there'd be nothing we could do],”Lacson told reporters.

“But I don’t think [the] national government should be covered by the election ban on providing social services to our people, especially at the time when the prices of fuel tuloy tuloy yung taas, bababa ng konti, babanatan na naman tayo ng P10, ibababa ng P2, bibira na naman ng P11, wala na, malulumpo yung ating transport sector, malulumpo yung ating fisherfolk at saka mga farmers [continues to rise and cripples our transport sector, our fisherfolk and farmers. Kaya nga nagkaroon ng subsidy; call of the times 'yun tapos iintinidihin mo pa ang Comelec ban [That's why there''s a subsidy; it's the call of the times and then there's the Comelec ban],” he added.

He said the Senate can act on this issue by advising the Department of Transportation about the fuel subsidy due the transport sector.

"Ngayon kailangan eh isu-suspend mo? Ano, paparusahan mo? [Now you're going to suspend it? What, you'll punish them?]" he asked.

Under the 2022 national budget, Lacson pointed out, the government should release a subsidy once the international crude price reaches $80 per barrel on the average over a period of three months.

“So nangyari na yun, $105 per barrel na nga tayo so dapat sundin ang batas [We are now at $105 per barrel so the law must be followed],” he said.

“Now, if somebody challenges it before the Supreme Court and I don’t think merong isang siraulo na magku-kuwestiyon pa na bawalan ang gobyerno na magbigay ng fuel subsidy [anyone is crazy enough to call for the government to stop the fuel subsidy]. Napakalupit naman niya kung kukuwestyunin niya pa yung subsidy sa ating mga kababayan, kukuwestyunin pa sa Supreme Court [It would be so cruel for person questions the subsidy for our people, questions it before the Supreme Court]. I don’t think so,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said in a text message to reporters that the fuel subsidy could be covered by the election spending ban as this might be perceived as vote-buying.

"The policy is to prevent vote buying or the impression of vote buying. Hence let us live with that COMELEC rule in the meantime. One month to go na lang naman [We only have one month to go],” Pimentel said.

But Lacson disagreed, saying the national government, particularly the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Boar, is not a candidate that will distribute aid as a form of vote buying.

“Vote-buying for whom? Paano magiging vote-buying? Kandidato ba ang national government? Kandidato ba ang LTFRB? [How can it be vote-buying? Is the national government a candidate? Is the LTFRB a candidate?] That would distribute the subsidy based on very clear parameters? Wala, I don’t think,” Lacson argued.

On Monday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said its decision on the LTFRB's petition for fuel subsidies to be exempted from the public spending ban during elections will be released on Thursday. — BM, GMA News