Removing BuB is tantamount to removing people's empowerment

PRESS RELEASE
August 16, 2016

FISCALIZE, SCRUTINIZE THE P3.35-T BUDGET

Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin said that he will be relentless in scrutinizing the proposed P3.35-trillion budget for 2017 to ensure that funds are allotted for the right priorities, in the right way.

"We welcome the budget proposed by the executive. But it is our role as legislators to be fiscalizers who will scrutinize the budget and ensure that the process is transparent," Villarin said.

"Someone has to watch over the budget. In case there are mistakes, we can check them. That is the value of having a legitimate minority," he added.

Villarin is one of the "Legitimate 8" who comprise the real and authentic minority bloc in the House of Representatives.

While President Duterte might be sincere in his intention to address the "breakdown of public trust" as he stated in his fiscal message, Villarin noted that public trust is built on the assumption that citizens are provided an avenue for transparency, meaningful participation, and engagement, particularly in the budget process.

"Bottom-up budgeting was an innovation in governance and was a good start. Removing it was tantamount to removing a mechanism for people's empowerment," the lawmaker said.

Villarin also urged the public and media to be wary of lump-sum appropriations in the proposed budget, which may be subjected to abuse by public officials of questionable integrity.

"Lump-sum appropriations may resemble discretionary funds that the public has widely known to be 'pork.' And it will do this administration much good to refrain from means that may cast doubt on its credibility in fighting corruption and inspiring real change," he said.

Instead, the lawmaker highlighted practices undertaken under the previous administration, which were effective in ensuring transparency in the budget process.

"Detailed descriptions and geo-tagging of projects were also good budget practices. These are some of the ways by which we can concretely reinforce, if not restore, the public's trust in our democratic institutions," Villarin said.