Gatchalian: Congressional oversight to first look into gov’t procurement

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday said the joint congressional oversight committee tasked to monitor the implementation of the national budget will initially look into the government’s procurement of goods and services.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the Senate contingent in the congressional committee includes himself, Senators Loren Legarda, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, JV Ejercito, and Bong Go. 

“Ang unang titignan namin dito ay ‘yung procurement. Kung matatandaan natin, isa sa naging problema ay ‘yung procurement o kawalan ng procurement. Nagiging moro-moro na lang ‘yung pagbili ng gamit ng gobyerno o pagkuha ng contractor,” the senator said in an interview on Unang Hirit’s On Record segment. 

(The first thing we will look at here is the procurement. If we remember, one of the problems we’ve seen was the procurement or the lack of procurement. The government’s purchase of goods and getting contractors has become a joke.) 

“So may pondo nga, pero kung magiging moro-moro naman ‘yung pagkuha ng contractor, walang bidding, magiging problema ulit. So ‘yun ang unang titignan namin,” he added. 

(Even if there are funds, if the acquiring of contractors is bad and sometimes, there is even no bidding, it will be a problem. So that is the first thing we will look at.) 

Earlier, Gatchalian said the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Public Expenditures would be activated for the first time to closely monitor the implementation of government projects funded by the 2026 national budget. — JMA, GMA Integrated News