Transcript of interview after the budget hearing
of the Office of the President and Comelec

Ambush interview after the budget hearing of the Office of the President and Comelec

One of the funds na mainit sa balita is the president social fund. May magagawa ba to make it more transparent or to absorb it into the budget para mas ma-regulate?

Chiz: Pinag-iinitan lang naman iyon dahil sa issue na lumalabas ngayon pero ang social fund ng president ay malayo kumpara sa off budget items ng kada ahensya. If you look at the budget more than total of 72 billion budget items sa iba't ibang ahensya ng gobyerno including the courts, including the Constitutional Commissions na hindi dumadaan sa Kongreso at hinihiling nga naming na isa-isa kung saan ina-allocate iyon.

The President's Social Fund, although not going through Congress because it is not asking money through Congress, is subject still to COA rules and regulations and COA guidelines. So kung may report man tungkol at kaugnay doon, dapat manggaling sa COA. It was Congress that appropriated and allocated money for the Social Fund of the President when we passed the PAGCOR Charter and the other revenue-generating laws will and how it will be divided and subdivided into the various agencies of the government.

What can you say about off budget accounts? Should we be worried we have 72 billion in...

Chiz: Well, hinihingi namin isa-isa ang accounting niyon sa ngayon. To be fair to the DBM, this is the first time we included these in the budget items, in the BESF, the Budget Expenditures and Sources and Finances. It is the first time we were appraised and informed of it. Kahit nga ang sa Comelec kanina ang savings nila na humigit kumulang 10 billion ay hinihingi rin namin ang detalye niyon dahil off budget din iyon at hindi nanggagaling sa Kongreso iyon. This is the first time perhaps that the Congress is looking into these off budget accounts and items in the hope that we will be able to make sure that there is no single peso or money that is not accounted for whether Congress appropriates it or not.

Agree ba kayo sa distinction ng Palace na the President's Social Fund is not the Presidential pork as some would call it?

Chiz: Pork barrel is associated with legislators, not with the President because the entire budget of the government is with the President and not with the legislators. After we approve it, it's in his hands already. However, some people define pork barrel to simple mean a lump-sum account. Now it that's the definition they go by then perhaps it would fall under that. But for me it's not merely a lump sum account. Pork barrel has its origins with basically the discretion of a legislator with respect to a certain account, not the entire budget but to a certain amount. Simple na lang siguro ang tanong tungkol doon. Ang budget pag inapprove namin nire-release iyan ng gobyerno maski na walang sulat sa congressman. Ang pork barrel kailangan may pirma muna ng senador o congressman bago ma-release.

Bakit ang bilis ng approval ng budget ng OP? Wala namang issues..

Chiz: No issues. The lump sums we are mentioning are special purpose funds which the DBM will defend, not under the Office of the President. Even the item you mentioned, social fund, is not in the budget of the President. The third reason would be: by tradition, even in the past, Congress allocates courtesies to the Office of the President, Office of the Vice President with respect to their budget and if there are any issues with respect to their administration it is being addressed to the departments and not to the OP proper itself.

In this case, DBM

Chiz: DBM ang magde-defend ng special purpose funds to include calamity fund, contingency fund, feasibility studies fund, lahat ng kinekwestyon na lump sums sa publiko o sa media man ng mga mambabatas, sa DBM iyan under the special purpose fund.

Regarding the off budget accounts again, the USAID and World Bank released a study calling to abolish or at least lessen our off budget accounts. Do you agree with this?

Chiz: What are they referring to?

They said it would be better if we have a more transparent budget which means we have lesser off budget accounts. So do you agree with this recommendation?

Chiz: As a rule yes because it is the best way to manage the budget of the government for us to know exactly how much money is coming in and what is being spent para ma-program at maayos din namin sa General Appropriations Act. That's where we are taking issue right now even with the 72 billion off budget account, excluding that of the social fund of the President. These are savings, these are money, incomes generated by agencies from fees. For example, bidding documents nagbenta sila, sa kanila na iyon at hindi dadaan sa amin iyon and they appropriate it themselves from license fees, inspection fees. Lahat iyon use of money na nila iyon na hindi na nila nire-report sa Kongreso at hindi na dumadaan. Mas malaki ang actual na sinusubukan namin talaga na maibalik at maisailalim sa fold ng budget.

May agreement na daw ba from the caucus yesterday on how to deal with PDAF kasi ang House di ba nagmeet sila?

Chiz: None. It was not discussed yet. What was discussed yesterday is kung paano gagawin ang trabaho naming dahil it's been a month and we are trying to speed up some of the committee reports so that we can begin debates on some of the bills that were filed. Kasi puro budget deliberations so we are..kailangan pag-usapan ang rooms at availability ng rooms sa ngayon.

So on the part of the Senate no decision yet on PDAF?

Chiz: None. But there are pending resolutions. It is pending on the Committee on Rules. It depends on Senator Cayetano when he will schedule it. I believe it will be scheduled soon and we have to discuss and debate before we approve the budget, obviously.

Regarding the 200 million pork barrel of Vice President Binay, is this considered pork barrel?

Chiz: I don't know. I don't know who's saying that and what their definition of pork barrel is. Again, pork barrel is usually associated with funds given to a legislator, not to the President, not to the Vice President unless of course they define pork barrel to mean a lump sum allocation. In this case, probably, it would fall under that category but I don't hold the same view with respect to that definition.

So how would we classify the 200 million given to Vice President Binay?

Chiz: It's a budgetary allocation to fund the activities of the Vice President whether in the form of travel, assistance, or to enable him to perform his duties as Vice President.

How would be classified the 200 million given to Vice president Binay?

Chiz: It's a budgetary appropriations to fund the activities of the vice president whether in the form of travel assistance or to enable him to perform his duties as vice president.

Last Thursday sa blue ribbon hearing, may isang whistle blower sabi nong lawyer niya na handa na siya humarap sa senate investigations.

Chiz: Oo kahit naman nung million march pa na bukas yung committee hiniling ko na maimbitahan siya iniiskedyul na lang siguro ng committee kung sino at kalian a-atend.

This coming Thursday na ba?

Chiz: Wala pa yata sa notice of hearing unless of course the blue ribbon committee will come up the recommended notice but as of now wala pa. ang nakita ko sa notice ay yung iimbitahan yata ay yung mga GOCCs, at yung mga agencies na kung saan pinadaan yung PDAF.

Sino sino po yung mga whistle blower?

Chiz: Ang binaggit ko pa lamang doon sa mga naunang hearing naming ay si Luy pero yung sinasabi na whistle blower ay ni hindi pa namin alam kung sino. Ni wala kaming identification kung sino yung tao so I guess the only one has been invited is Luy.

Sir balik po tayo sa OP ang bilis po yata?

Chiz: Again, wala naman pong issue yan by tradition we give courtesy to the office of the President then to the office of Vice president yung mga issue naman na lumalabas kaugnay ng mga lump-sum allocations ng pangulo is going to be discussed in the special purpose funds to be defended by the DBM at the later part of the budget. Hindi kasama sa budget ng OP ang calamity fund, contingent fund, feasibility studies fund yung mga kinukuwestiyon ng ilan sa mambabatas dito man o sa mababang kapulungan.

Yung president social fund na sinasabi na pork barrel ng presidente?

Chiz: It's not part of an OP budget, it's an off-budget item Congress does not appropriate for it, it's part of a share of the office of the President and to form from the social fund from the income of Pagcor .

Yung special purpose fund?

Chiz: Hindi under sa OP, it's under the specific item or separate item to be defended by the DBM or DBCC for not mistaken.

Yung budget nila mas mataas ng 19 million compare doon sa nakaraan?

Chiz: Na-justify naman nila iyon principally for additional capital expenditures kung makita niyo iyong Malacanang may ginagawa doon yung dating PR ginagawa at on- going pa rin ang construction hanggang ngayon because of structural defects according to them.

Considering sa mga threat sa buhay ni Napoles may necessity na ba na makuhanan na ng testimony before the trial.

Chiz: Ang problema desisyon ng akusado at abogado niya iyon hindi puwede ma compel na makuhanan or kuhaan siya ng testimonya sa ngayon lalo na tungkol sa PDAF scam dahil yung kaso na pending laban sa kanya ay kaugnay lamang sa illegal detention at hindi tungkol sa PDAF scam kung nais niya mag-execute ng statement ay voluntary desisyon niya iyon at desisyon nila ng abogado niya.

Sir yung pag reresign ng NBI chief dahil nga raw sa kawalan na raw na tiwala ni President.

Chiz: Actually nagulat ako doon pero sumaludo ako kay Director Rojas sa ipinakita niya na selflessness kaugnay na pagkagusto niya na manatili na lamang sa puwesto bihira na lang natin makita yan sa gobyerno pero sabi ng Malacanang nananatili pa rin daw ang tiwala ni president sa kanya hindi ko alam kung ano ang mangyayari.

Sir may connection daw sa dalawang senador yun nag tip kay Napoles

Chiz: Hindi ko alam, hindi dalawang senador dalawang official ng NBI ang narinig ko ang sinabi ni Pangulong Aquino dalawang official ng NBI hindi ko alam kung sino yung dalawang official ng NBI .

But do you think he is doing a good job.

Chiz: So far I have no reasons to believe otherwise wala naman akong narining na balita wala naman na whistle blower laban sa kanya at wala naman sinasabi na may ginawa or hindi niya ginawa na dapat sana ginawa kaugnay sa trabaho niya bilang NBI Director.

The mere fact na irrevocable ang resignation niya so walang choice si Pnoy.

Chiz:There is no such thing because under the law if you're appointed to perform the specific function you cannot abandon that position until and unless your resignation is accepted.

Lahat ng off budget, kanino ito under na agency?

Chiz: Iba-iba. Look at page 256 of the BESF. Nandoon lahat ng off budget programs ng gobyerno totaling to aboput 72 billion. In fairness to Sec. Abad, this is the first time he included it in the BESF. Ngayon lang din naming nalaman iyon. Ano iyon, income from bidding documents. Binibili iyon e. Income din iyon from trust receipts, from fees and charges, licenses issued, inspection fees halimbawa ng Bureau of Fire. Lahat iyon off budget. Hindi na dumadaan sa amin iyon na hinihingi na namin isa-isa at pinapa-account naming sa kanila isa-isa kasi incomplete ang submission ng reports kahit sa DBM mismo.

Tama ba na i-abolish na ang mga implementing agencies ngayong may mga bogus transactions?

Chiz: Just not yet. Sa abolition kasi baka lahat ng dokumento ma-abolish na rin at mawala. Just not yet. Perhaps it's something that should be done later on. Halimbawa, paano kung may mga utang pa ang ahensya, may mga pinautang pa ang ahensya? Pag pina-abolish mo ano ang mangyayari? Ano ang successor agency na papalit doon? Pangalawa, pag pina-abolish mo nang bigla-bigla, sino ang papalit para mangalaga ng mga dokumento ng ahensya? Baka mamaya magturuan tayo kung saan napunta ang dokumento.

So wala nang legislation na kailangan. Pwede ng executive na lang ang...

Chiz: Under the Administrative Code, the President has the power to reorganize the bureaucracy in the government. So meron siyang ganoong authority, legislative cover, para gawin iyon.

Ano ang sinasabi ni Agriculture Sec. Alcala na nasa advance procedure na sila ng pag-abolish ng NABCOR..?

Chiz: Pagharap nila sa amin isa iyon sa tatanungin namin. Sino ang magli-liquidate, saan magli-liquidate, sinong responsible habang ginagawa iyan lalo na kaugnay sa mga dokumento na hawak ng mga ahensyang iyan.

So ang abolition it doesn't mean na abswelto na ang mga officials niyon?

Chiz: Definitely not.

Si Jun Lozada meron siyang sinabi na nagkaroon daw ng midnight deal during the time of GMA that was not scrapped by the Aquino administration because it supposedly involves the brother of the executive secretary?

Chiz: I'm not so sure about that. I'm not quite familiar. We asked that a long time ago when I was the chairman of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. Ang alam ko na-scrap na iyan ng DENR but I'm not sure. Don't take my word for it. Ang alam ko na-reverse na iyan at binawi na ng DENR ang mga awards na particular sa Busuanga property na tinuturing na pinakamagandang grazing land sa ating bansa.

So is it possible that Mr. Lozada was misinformed?

Chiz: No. Again, I don't know. You have to verify about it from the DENR. Pero kung ano't anuman iyon ay issue iyon sa DENR na kailangan harapin at sagutin ng inaakusahan at hindi namin dito.

Ang pagiging brother in law kasama pa rin ba iyon sa liability ng isang government official?

Chiz: well, to begin with ginawa ito sa nakaraang administrasyon at ang akusasyon at bakit hindi nila binaligtad? Iba iyon sa sila ang gumawa to begin with. Pangalawa, syempre may mga duda at alinlangan palagi kaugnay ng malapit o kamag-anak ng sinuman na may transaksyon sa gobyerno. Nasa kanila iyan para ipakita at patunayan na parehas ang laban at walang pinaboran.