NAGLIMBONG

NANGANGAHULUGAN ang naglimbong sa salitang Bisaya ng pandaraya o panlalansi kapag, kadalasan, sinuklian o binayaran ko ng kulang. Ito ang iginigiit ng M4GG, o Mayors 4 Good Government sa isyu ng pamamahala s gobyerno. Humihingi sila ng pulong kasama ang Kalihim ng Pananalapi Ralph Recto hinggil sa isyu ng pananalapi ng mga LGU (local government unit). Ayon sa M4GG, hindi sinusunod ng pamahalaan ang Mandanas-Garcia Ruling na inuutos na ibigay sa mga lokal na pamahalaan ang 40% na bahagi sa buwis o national taxes.

Sa halip, ang natatanggap ng mga LGU ay 31% lang. Hindi maganda ang pahiwatig nito sa maliit na peryodistang ito dahil una, hindi nasusunod sa doktrina ng Mandanas-Garcia, ayon sa M4GG na itinatag ng isandaang punongbayan kabilang si Sitti Hataman, Ipe Remollo, Joy Belmonte, Rommel Arnado, Marcelino Teodoro at Benjamin Magalong.

Humihingi sila ng malinaw na paliwanag sa kalihim dahil, ayon sa kanila, ang wastong pamamahagi ng pondo ay napakahalaga sa mga lokal na pamahalaan dahil binibigyan sila ng kaukulang kakayahan, na tuparin ang kanilang mga proyekto. Ani Mayor Magalong: Paano na ang mga 3rd, 4th at 5th-class municipalities na walang impluwensya sa Kongreso? Sa opinyon ko, G. Recto, hindi klaro ang mga isyu na dapat niyo sagutin.

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Ibinabahagi ko sa inyo ang pahayag ng INCITEGov, isang kapulungan ng mga matataas na dating opisyal ng pamahalaan. Lumagda sila sa naturang pahayag upang sabihin ang kanilang pagkadismaya sa paglagda ng General Appropriations Act (GAA) ni BBM noong ika-30 ng Disyembre, 2024. Sumasalamin ang naturang pahayag sa aking pagkadismaya dahil batid ng inyong lingkod na taliwas na ang intensyon ng GAA sa kapakanan ng mga Pilipino. Nawa’y pag-aralan at pagnilayan natin lahat. Patubayan tayong lahat ni Poong Kabunian

“We are the former senior government officials and crossover leaders of the International Center for Innovation, Transformation, and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov), Inc. Together with our partners and friends who have signed this statement, we would like to register our profound dismay and disagreement with the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed on December 30, 2024.

“Contrary to the impression given by the President that the approved 2025 GAA resulted from an ‘exercise of maximum prudence,’ lawmakers’ pork-barrel insertions remained largely intact in the ?6.326 trillion national budget while the essential social services continued to be defunded. In particular, the budget retained at least ?288 billion of pork barrel, consisting of ?262 billion additional budget for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and ?26 billion for Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), while defunding a big chunk of essential services, including the following:

– P74 billion from PhilHealth;

– P76 billion from various social program priorities that include support for health facilities, social welfare, technical and vocational education;

– P50.4 billion from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps);

– P26.9 billion from Commission on Higher Education;

– P14 billion from State Universities and Colleges;

– P5 billion from DepEd’s computerization program;

– P5 billion from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund;

– P2 billion from the Marawi Siege Compensation Program;

– P2 billion from public health emergency benefits and allowances for health care and non-health care workers;

– P1 billion from social pensions for indigent senior citizens;

– P1 billion from the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program;

– P500 million from the community mortgage finance program of Social Housing Finance Corporation; and

– The Philippine government’s counterpart funding to foreign-assisted projects such as Metro Manila Subway Project, North-South Commuter Railway System, LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension, MRT Line 4, rehabilitation of MRT Line 3, major ports and airports, connecting roads and bridges, maritime safety projects and improvements, flood control, reconstruction and development for Greater Marawi Stage 2, Metro Manila Flood Management Project Phase 1.

“In addition to the defects raised by other sectors related to the manner of computing the budget for education and the zero subsidy for PhilHealth, we question the retention of AKAP funds worth ?26 billion, when there are already legislated cash assistance programs such as the 4Ps with clearer targeting policies and conditionalities. The AKAP mall tours in Metro Manila with politicians so conspicuously and shamelessly visible give away the underlying intentions behind the program.

“All in all, the 2025 GAA represents a shameless and unconscionable abuse of public funds and a betrayal of the Filipino people’s trust. This insidious attempt to use the national budget as a political tool violates the constitutional principles of checks and balances. If left unchecked, these practices in the crafting of the national budget will institutionalize pork barrel and significantly erode our democratic institutions. Worse, it will leave the vulnerable and poor Filipinos without the necessary resources to survive and thrive, and perpetuate their dependence on political patronage.

“We echo the demands of various sectors for the following:

To Conduct a complete public audit of the 2024 AKAP funds; and to Release AKAP and the pork barrel funds under the DPWH after the May 2025 elections.

“The dubious process by which the 2025 GAA was passed is a stark reminder of the urgent need for constant vigilance, unyielding accountability, and reforms in the governance and politics of our country. We call on our political leaders to embody true public service and place the common good above their personal and political ambitions.”

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