Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago (UNTV News)
MANILA, Philippines — May pork barrel pa rin sa 2015 proposed national budget ayon kay Senador Miriam Defensor Santiago bukod dito binatikos rin ng senadora ang depenisyon ng “saving”.
Ani Sen. Santiago sa privilege speech nito, “The first question is: In the form of so-called savings, can the president still transfer an appropriation from one agency to another? The answer is, Yes. The second question is: Does the 2015 budget still contain pork barrel, meaning lump-sum funds to be spent at the discretion of the legislators? The second answer is, also, Yes.”
Paliwanag ni Senador Santiago na noong 2014 budget, ang termino ng PDAF ay ipinagbawal.
Ngunit ang presensya nito ay malinaw na lantad pa rin .
Ayon kay Santiago ang paglilipat ng 25.4 billion pesos sa limang ahensya ng pamahalaan at may kontrol ng mga mambabatas ay nasa 2015 budget pa rin.
“In the 2015 budget, no less than P37.3 billion worth of projects are allocated to the following agencies: DPWH (with P18.369-Billion for “land infrastructure program”), DOH, DSWD, DOLE at CHED.
Bukod dito binatikos rin ang isyu ng 269 page na errata sa budget na P4.7 billion.
Rekomendasyon ni Senador Santiago na ibalik na lang ang dating depinisyon ng savings at sundin ang nakasaad sa batas.
Samantala, kinuwestyon naman ni Senador Vicente Sotto III ang isang bilyong pisong budget ng Department of Health para sa family planning supplies.
Nahayag din na walang sertipikasyon ito mula sa Food and Drug Administration.
Kabilang sa family planning commodities ang mga sumusunod: sub-dermal implant, medical supplies for implant insertions, combined oral contraceptive pills, injectibles , IUD’s, bilateral tubal ligation, non-scalpel vasectomy.
Ani Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III, “May we know from the DOH if all the identify family planning commodities included in there list have a certification from the FDA, that they are safe and non-abortifacient.”
Pahayag naman ng chairman ng Senate Committee on Health na si Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, “Mr. Chairman, the Department of Health is awaiting the FDA certification. That’s why even for this year 2014 they have not purchased yet.”
Kaya naman rekomendasyon ni Sotto, wag muna itong paglaanan ng budget kung wala pa namang certification sa FDA.
Si Sotto ay isa rin sa nangunguna sa pagtutol na maging batas Reproductive Health Bill noon sa Senado.
Paglilinaw namanng DOH, sa unang linggo ng Disyembre ay inaasahang makapaglalabas ang FDA ng sertipikasyon. (BRYAN DE PAZ / UNTV News)