Lacson-Sotto budget program to support federalism without changing Constitution

The tandem of presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson and his running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III is proposing a budgeting scheme that will mimic a federal form of government without necessarily amending the Constitution.

At the Pandesal Forum on Saturday, Sotto said that if he and Lacson win the two highest positions in government, they will implement a budgeting system that will prioritize the needs of every local government unit (LGU) down to the barangay level.

“Sa programa namin (in our program), the people will benefit the good features of federalism without changing the Constitution,” Sotto said.

“Ano ba ang essence ng federalism? Na ang mga kanya-kanyang federal state ay maiwan ang kayamanan at ang kanilang budget ay sarili nila,” the vice presidential candidate said.

(What is the essence of federalism? That each federal state will enjoy its own income and have its budget.)

Sotto lamented that under the current system, the national government decides which projects should be implemented by each LGU.

“Sa amin, ang national budget magsisimula sa kung ano ang kailangan niyo? Sa baba, sa barangay development council, paakyat ‘yan. Ganyan ang magiging national budget,” he said,

(With us, the drafting of the national budget will start with asking what is your need? This will start from the barangay development council upward. That will be how we will draft the budget.)

“That is the essence of federalism, therefore you don’t need to change the Constitution,” the Senate president said.

For his part, Lacson said he will implement a “balanced budget” to ensure that state revenues will match the size of government expenditures to avoid further widening of fiscal deficit, which then will be funded through borrowing.

“'Yung budget natin kailangan mabalanse sa ating revenues. Sa ngayon, kasi talagang kulang ang revenues natin kung ikukumpara sa ating expenditure program,” the presidential candidate said.

(Our budget has to be matched with our revenues. For now, our revenues are not enough compared to our expenditure program.)

Lacson added that non-essential expenditures will be removed from the national budget, and programs for livelihood, social development, and infrastructure will be retained.

In reducing the national government outstanding debt which already breached P12 trillion and is expected to hit around P13 trillion by the end of the Duterte administration, Sotto proposed the rightsizing of the bureaucracy.

“Sa budget ng government, 50% napunta sa personal services. Sa P5 trillion [budget for 2022], P2.5 trillion higit pang-suweldo lang,” the senate president said.

(In the government's budget, 50% goes to personal services. With the P5 trillion budget [for 2022], around P2.5 trillion will be for salaries.)

Sotto said 40% of government workers will opt for early retirement.

“Ang ibig sabihin 40%, mga P1 trillion plus maluluwag mo sa budget every year. Ang daming magagawa sa P1 trillion at 'di kailangan mangutang para pandagdag sa serbisyo,” the Senate president said.

(That means with 40% [retiring early], you will have an additional P1 trillion plus that will be freed from your budget. That P1 trillion can be used for many things, and we don't need to take a loan to finance the government's services.)

Lacson also said an “internal cleansing” of the government will also help in rightsizing the bureaucracy. —KG, GMA News