Written By Bingo P. Dejaresco
Editor In Chief, Bohol Chronicle
Senator Panfilo Lacson will explode a bombshell tomorrow afternoon on the billions of questionable "insertions" and "lump sums" in the P1.2-trillion 2008 National Budget within the halls of Congress.
This is indeed timely as Congress is on budget deliberation these weeks for the all-time high P1.4 trillion 2009 Budget proposal.
But the greater interest of Boholanos these days is perhaps the "aperitif" bombshell that the maverick senator (Lacson) detonated last week that showed a blatant "double entry" of P200 million on the on-going extension of the Carlos P Garcia Avenue (popularly known as C-5), the longest stretch of highway in the Philippines .
Lacson indicated that in one page of the General Appropriations Acts (2008) of the National Budget (as approved into law) a P200-million budget was allocated for "construction of the C-5 Road Extention from the South Luzon Expressway to the Sucat Road including the Road ROW (right of Way).
Yet on another page was another P200-million allocation for "construction of the Cralos P. Garcia Avenue from the South LUzon Expressway to the Sucal Road including the Road ROW (right of way)."
This is clearly a case of "double entry" which people are viewing with suspicious eyes.
First, the second "insertion" occurred away from the eyes of Congress through the so-called Bi-Cameral Committee who makes a second pass on the original Budget proposal of Congress. Why the other non-BICAM members took this long a time (September of the Budget year of 2008) to notice this discrepancy is itself a story of benign neglect.
Second, why the DBM (through its flamboyant and sometimes arrogant Secretary Rolando Andaya) who claims to scrutinize the GAA line by line had to be told last week by a senator (Lacson is not even with the Appropriations Committee) of the "double entry" represents either incompetence or malice.
Admitting DBM's lack of scrutiny, Secretary Andaya merely charmed his way out that having confirmed the "double entry" by saying that DBM will then not release the funds.
Skeptics have joined the barbershop discussion as to what would have happened if Senator Lacson did not blow the whistle on the P200 million.
Since the approved Budget (GAA) had technically already provided funding for it, would the "extra" P200 million - which would represent a technical "savings" - not have been re-aligned by the DPWH to their favorite congressmen, senators and their favored contractors?
Undersecretary Bonoan of the DPWH declared yesterday that the "extra" P200 million will still be used for the C-5 since the "total" project is still a long way to go.
Beleaguered senate president Manuel Villar and El Shaddai head Mike Velarde's names have been dragged into the controversy, which injected a new political dimension to the discussion. Villar is a self-declared 2010 presidentiable though his survey ratings are still in the mid-range.
It is unfortunate that the venerable name of Boholano president Carlos Garcia had been used by knowing hands or incompetent bureaucrats to make this huge P200-million "double entry." We are not talking P20,000 here. To use our Bohol's Favorite Son's name for ill profit or be subjected to incompetent bureaucracy is a form of a desecration, indeed.
CONTENT-PROVIDER
What is a little known is that much of the confirmation and some of the sources of the Lacson exposes come from a non-government entity called the (Philippine) Center for National Budget Legislation, founded by self-made Manila-based Boholano businessman - consultant Joseph Ranola.
The CNBL, as it is called for short with a slogan based on "Bantay Budget" had been regularly doing instructionals, briefings and giving guideposts on the nuances of the Philippine Budget to legislators and their staff (senators and congressmen), media, LGUs and the academe. Among the senators who made use of the Center's presentation was Senator Lacson, days before the C-5 Expose.
The center has produced a first publication of a best-selling book sold at the National Bookstore nationwide entitled "Your Guidebook to Effective and Transparent National Budget Legislation" and several manuals on specific current issues on the Philippine Budget. The book is set for its second revised re-printing.
Ranola will be interviewed by Father Francis Lucas, president of Catholic Network Broadcasters (CNB) over a nation-wide radio hook-up tomorrow morning even before the much-awaited Lacson privilege speech in the afternoon.
Ranola acquired the technology in dissecting the budget preparation, process and implementation in his 16 years hands-on experience working with congressmen and a senator.
The (Philippine) Center for National Budget Legislation is now partnering with the Makati Business Club, the La Salle Institute of Good Governance, the Asia Foundation and the Philippine Futuristic Society.
The Editor of the Bohol Chronicle is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center.
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