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TARGET ng mga prominenteng miyembro ng Kamara ang pagbabalik sa Department of Budget and Management (DBM) ng panukalang National Expenditure Program (NEP) na nagsusulong ng P6.793-trilyong national budget para sa susunod na taon.
“Ayaw namin na kami na naman ang masisisi dito… kasi bibigyan kami ng problema eh,” wika ni Deputy House Speaker at Antipolo City Rep. Ronnie Puno.
Kasama ang iba pang kongresista mula sa iba’t ibang partido, nagpasya ang grupo irekomenda kay House Speaker Martin Romualdez ang pagbabalik sa DBM ng ng panukalang P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget.
“We have decided as a group to recommend to the Speaker the return of the 2026 budget to the DBM because we do not know how to deal with it. We have to practically redo the entire submission to us, and we do not want to be suspected of any untoward action,” saad ni Puno na tumatayong chairman ng National Unity Party (NUP).
“So, we have decided that in good conscience, we cannot begin deliberations on this national budget, and we owe it to all of you that this is allocated properly, transparency, and free of corruption. And we believe that at this point, the NEP (National Expenditure Program) submitted by the DBM falls short of that standard,” dugtong ng Antipolo City solon.
Kasunod nito, sinabi ni Puno na ang mga miyembro ng political parties na bumubuo sa tinaguriang super majority ng Kamara ay sinabihang huwag na muna dumalo sa budget hearings.
Ayon sa NUP stalwart, isa ang hinihinging badyet ng DPWH para sa susunod na taon ay nakitaan ng depekto. Partikular na tinukoy ng mambabatas ang alokasyon sa bawat distrito kung saan marami ang mayroong napakalaking katanungan kung paano ipinasok ang halagang ilalaan.
“Political party leaders have been watching all of the developments, we have been constantly talking to one another day and night to discuss the problems that have arisen with respect to the 2026 proposed budget,” paglalahad ni Puno.
“We raised questions about whether or not the DBM was handling the budget preparations properly, and whether or not what was coming to us (which was the NEP) was a result of irresponsibility or some oversight that maybe can be justified,” dagdag niya.
Gayunpaman, nilinaw ni Puno na patuloy ang pakikipag-ugnayan ng DBM para maisaayos ang ang gusot.
Sa nakaraang State of the Nation Address (SONA), nagpasaring si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., na hindi niya tatanggapin ang isang hindi maayos na national budget.
“The President has also asked newly appointed DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to do a comprehensive review of everything, not just the organization but the (agency) budget. So want to be true to what the President wishes,” giit pa ng kongresista.
Bukod sa DPWH, tinukoy din ni Puno ang Department of Agriculture (DA) na may P10-bilyong alokasyon para sa farm-to-market road projects na inaalok sa iba habang ang napaulat na P8 billion insertion sa Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) bagama’t wala sa 2025 national budget ay kailangan ding malaman kung sa proposed 2026 budget ilagay.
Giit ni Puno, mas mainam na ibalik muna sa DBM ang 2026 NEP para maituwid ang maling nakagawian sa mga nakalipas na panahon.
“So, this is the position that the party leaders have taken, and we hope that you will all understand our intention that this thing be resolved correctly and properly. We, in the House, were the ones who first discovered all of these things…We do not believe that we should fix what other people caused. We are not the ones that should fix the problems that have begun in other places.”
Samantala, sa panig ni House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman at Quezon 1st District Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, na ranking leader ng Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), sinabi niyang mayroon ding mga miyembro ng kanilang partido ang may naging obserbasyon tungkol sa 2026 national budget na kahalintulad sa mga nabanggit ng NUP official.
“So, just the same for NPC, a few of our members had the same observations as those with the other members I would presume for LAKAS, NUP and NP. So just the same of course we also support the initiative of the President na under review talaga ito. Better that we also recommend na ibalik na muna yung NEP sa DBM,” ayon pa kay Enverga.
Kinumpirma naman ni Deputy Speaker at Iloilo 1st. District Rep. Janette Garin na gayundin ang posisyon ng mga miyembro ng LAKAS sa Kamara.
“That is why the decision of the majority of the members of partido LAKAS was to talk to other party leaders and request the Speaker to return the budget to the DBM so that we can have a clear signal and a clean slate. Dun ka magsisimula sa alam mo kung nasaan ang babaguhin at sila mismo alam na nilang may problema eh, baguhin na nila,” bulalas ng lady House official. (ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II)
