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Ni Estong Reyes
KINUWESTIYON ni Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III nitong Miyerkoles ang final version ng panukalang 2024 national budget bilang unconstitutional matapos maglaan ang bicameral conference committee ng P450 billion bilang additional unprogrammed funds.
“‘Yung reported niyong total na P5.7 [trillion], dagdagan niyo ng P450 [billion] ‘yan kasi d’yan sa P5.7 [trillion] na ‘yan kasama na d’yan ‘yung P281 [billion originally proposed] na unprogrammed [funds]. [The current version of the budget bill] umabot ng P6 [trillion],” ayon kay Pimentel sa interview ng reporters.
“Compliant ba ‘yan sa Constitution? Ang sabi ng Constitution sa atin, Congress may approve the appropriations proposed by the President for the operations of the government, but it cannot increase the appropriations. Congress can maintain the appropriations or reduce the appropriations, but it cannot increase the appropriations,” paliwanag niya.
Ayon sa datos na ipinamahagi ng tanggapan ni Pimentel umabot sa P6.498 trilyon ang kabuuang national budget sa 2024 sa ilalim ng final version ng General Appropriations Bill (GAB) na kinabibilangan ng:
P4.019 trillion programmed funds
P731 billion unprogrammed funds
P1.748 trillion automatic appropriations
“The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) defines unprogrammed appropriations as those which provide standby authority to incur additional agency obligations for priority programs or projects when revenue collection exceed targets, and when additional grants or foreign funds are generated while are appropriations with definite/identified funding as of the time the budget is prepared,” ayon kay Pimentel.
“A summary of the final version of the 2024 GAB shows a P449.540 billion increase in total new appropriations allocated under unprogrammed appropriations after the bicameral conference,” giit niya.
Bago ratipikahan ng Senado ang 2024 GAB, kinuwestiyon ni Pimentel ang pagtaas ng halagang nakalaan sa unprogrammed funds mula P281.9 billion na ipinanukala sa National Expenditures Program (NEP) tungo P731.4 billion sa final version ng badyet.
Ayon kay Pimentel, kauna-unahang pagkakataong nangyari na umabot sa P6 trillyon ang badyet ng pamahalaan dulot ng pagtaas ng unprogrammed funds.
“Actually, itong 2023 tinawag ko na ‘tong the first P6 trillion budget kasi you did not see the unprogrammed. Actually, 2024 will be the second P6 trillion budget,” aniya
“Since the Executive Branch only proposed P281.9 billion under the P5.767-trillion NEP. “Hindi ba ‘yun violative sa Constitution? Bawal po sa Constitution ‘yun because it is the Executive which starts the budget,” ani Pimentel.
“Saan galing ngayon this P450 billion worth of projects or programs or activities na nasa unprogrammed appropriations? Hindi na nanggaling ‘yan sa Executive Branch… Ang nangyari binigyan ng Kongreso ang Executive Branch ng authority to spend an amount even greater than hiningi ni Executive Branch. It’s as simple as that, unconstitutional,” aniya pa.
