Amid the claim of Sen. Panfilo Lacson that the budget allocation for infrastructure for congressional districts increased even more under the leadership of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations admitted the existence of an P8-billion allocation for his district in Benguet.
House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Eric Go Yap made the admission after Lacson’s claim that Velasco’s allies have received additional allocations in House-approved General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which was passed last October 16.
Yap of ACT-CIS, who is also the current caretaker of Benguet, said there are some P8 billion allocated for the construction of some infrastructure projects of the national government in Benguet. “Why should I be ashamed of it? Did I ask for it? No. Who identified it? DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways]. Is this project a ghost project? No,” he said.
Without naming the district, Lacson revealed that the P4-billion or P5- billion allocation for a congressional district has increased to almost P8 billion following the approval of GAB, “Merong distrito din na nasa P4 [billion] or P5 billion, paglabas ng GAB, nadagdagan pa ulit ng another P4 [billion] or P5 billion, naging halos P8 billion na. ’Nung nagpalit ng liderato, nagpalit ang ihip ng hangin.”
Velasco was elected as Speaker, replacing Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano amid deliberations of the proposed P4.5-trillion General Appropriations Act.
Lacson earlier lambasted the “disparity,” or the unfair split of allocation toward the infrastructure budget of the lawmakers wherein he cited that billions of pesos are being allotted in few selected districts.
But Yap said the allocations for some infrastructure projects of some lawmakers are bigger because they are also part of big-ticket projects of the national government.
He also said the lower chamber will let the DPWH to explain these fundings, saying it was the one who programmed the projects. The leadership of Velasco, however, has not responded yet despite several issues of Lacson on the House version of the national budget.
In the initial investigation, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner Greco Belgica alleged that 10 percent to 15 percent is the normal cut for infrastructure projects that reportedly goes straight to some congressmen, while district engineers and contractors also allegedly get a cut of the budget.
“Probably, around 50 percent or less will go to projects. That’s why we see substandard, incomplete projects because of that system,” Belgica said earlier.