About a third of the cash appropriations for the various government agencies amounting to P650.26 billion have already been released as of April, figures posted on Thursday at the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) web site indicated.
The release of cash to the various government agencies accounted for 31.4 percent of the total appropriations of P2.07 trillion for 2016 for the various government agencies, including those in the legislative and judiciary branches.
The total appropriations of P2.07 trillion for the departments under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) is separate from the P930.69 billion in automatic appropriations. The two items added together constitutes the P3.001-trillion national budget for 2016.
According to the figures released by the DBM, of the total P650.26 billion released in cash to the departments, a total of P595.28 billion, or 92 percent, was actually spent, leaving behind some balance in cash and already in the possession of the government agencies.
Of the four months in fiscal data from the DBM, the single biggest cash disbursement was made in March, with P200.69 billion actually released to the various government agencies to meet various obligations.
Malacañang officials said accelerated expenditures in March should be seen as politically neutral and quelled allegations the funds were used to underwrite the presidential campaign of Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel A. Roxas II.
Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said, while the government has released to the various government agencies their cash appropriations for 2016, this did not mean the funds have all been spent.
Under the new rules of the DBM, the GAA shall already be the release document that serves as the legal basis for the release of the appropriations to the corresponding government agency even at the start of the fiscal year.
The cash to be credited to the government agency’s bank account would still have to be effected by the DBM and the actual spending still has to follow procurement and payment guidelines.
The guidelines include schedules of disbursements of cash based on the completion status of infrastructure projects, and schedules of disbursements of cash for salaries of government employees.
“These releases are based on the General Appropriations Act, and it is reckless and irresponsible to say that the budget was used during the campaign. These allegations are baseless and our citizens can check in the corresponding web sites of each government agency, wherein they are all required to disclose all the disbursements which they make,”Coloma said.
