Press Release
April 1, 2009

CHIZ: DECEPTION BY INSERTION

Sen. Chiz Escudero said yesterday that the stimulus fund package culled from the 2009 budget could be used for other purposes beneficial to the administration through insertions.

"That's why I have always touted the importance of transparency and even triple checking so that we will not be deceived by such terms like 'double budgeting' or 'insertion'," the opposition senator said in a statement.

He added that it was important to know who inserted what and how much to prevent wastage and determine culpability for any misappropriation.

Escudero noted that by vetoing the transparency provision in the P1.415-trillion budget, President Arroyo's administration is no longer required to give a breakdown of lump sum allotments to different agencies.

"Now that the 2009 budget has been passed, we should be more vigilant to prevent scams and shenanigans involving the use of government funds," he said.

The government has said that the stimulus fund package of at least P50 billion is designed to enable the country to ride out the global economic crunch.

Escudero questioned the lack of discussions on the proposal, since some of the funds for the package were taken from a realignment of the executive department's budget.

"We have seen the creation of the Property Development Assistance Fund that primarily included the diversion of almost P20 billion in proposed spending for debt services and agrarian reform to increase allocations for public works, local governments and Congress, he said.

"We have to remember that this is an election year. And worse, it might also be a cha-cha year. We have more than enough reasons to make sure that this budget is spent for the right reasons," Escudero said.

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