No provision for release of funds for Martial Law museum in 2023 budget, says exec

The proposed P5.2-trillion national budget for 2023 contains no special provision on the release of funds for the construction of a museum for the victims of human rights violations under the Martial Law declared by the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1972, an official said on Thursday.

At the presentation of the agency's proposed P31-million budget, Human Rights Violations Victims Memorial Commission executive director Carmelo Crisanto referred to the trust fund from the Bureau of Treasury to which the commission was entitled under the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act.

"Every year, there is a special provision in the GAA (General Appropriations Act) for this. Under the NEP (National Expenditure Program) for 2023, there is no special provision regarding this trust fund," Crisanto told the House Committee on Appropriations.

Crisanto said the commission was still entitled to P662 million from the trust fund.

The 2013 law provides that a "Memorial/Museum/Library shall be established in honor and in memory of the victims of human rights violations whose names shall be inscribed in the Roll" and that the "Memorial/Museum/Library/Compendium shall have an appropriation of at least P500 million from the accrued interest of P10 billion fund."

"We do have, as of the moment, P287 million which we can still release before the end of the year, if we can actually bid out the construction of the Freedom Memorial Museum," Crisanto said.

"But if there is no special provision, then it may turn out to be a white elephant since no fund will be allowed for 2023," he added.

In a statement, the DBM said the special provisions that the memorial commission referred to in the past budget years were all adjustments introduced by congress.

"It was not part of the national expenditure program submitted by the Department of Budget and Management even in the past years," the DBM said.

"Allow us to note that the fund for the Museum is categorized as 'Trust Receipts', which means that the fund is still available to them," it added.

The DBM said that out of the P381 million released to the commission in 2021, only P127 million had been actually utilized, "thus, leaving a balance of P254 million, which is still in their account as of September 14, 2022 per the Landbank of the Philippines."

"Since the said amount is a trust, then it is available until fully utilized subject to budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations," the DBM said. —NB, GMA News