INQUIRERS HEADLINE READS - PALACE EXTRA CASH: P352.7-B. THIS WAS CARVED OUT OF THE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT AND PLACED AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN JUST 2 YEARS. The budget impounding system that the Supreme Court found unconstitutional put an estimated P133 billion in overall savings and another P219.73 billion in unprogrammed funds at the disposal of the executive branch in just two years. Thanks to National Budget Circular No. 541, the government generated P67.47 billion in overall savings in 2011 and P65.62 billion in 2012, budget documents showed. On top of the savings were unprogrammed funds, described as “standby appropriations” authorized by Congress under specific conditions. These amounted to P66.91 billion in 2011, the year the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) was introduced, and P152.82 billion in 2012. But the Supreme Court rejected practices done under the budget circular, which it tied to the DAP that pooled savings from various agencies and transferred to others to help stimulate the economy. The high court declared unconstitutional “the withdrawal of unobligated allotments of the implementing agencies and the declaration of the withdrawn unobligated allotments and unreleased appropriations as savings prior to the end of the fiscal year and without complying to the statutory definition of savings contained in the General Appropriations Act.” The circular allowed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to withdraw “unobligated allotments of agencies with low levels of obligations as of June 20, 2012, both for continuing and current allotments.” “Withdrawn allotments” could then be used to “augment existing programs and projects of any agency [emphasis by DBM] and to fund priority programs and projects not considered in the 2012 budget but expected to be started or implemented during the current year.” Budget Secretary Florencio Abad issued the circular on July 18, 2012. (click on the link below to get the full story.) IF THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE GRAVEST CRISIS OF GOVERNANCE, TRUST AND CONFIDENCE EVER, THEN WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS? THIS IS SHATTERING! WE HAVE TO DIG DEEP INTO OUR SOULS TO GET TO THE CORE REASONS WHY MATTERS BUILT UP AND SPUN OUT OF CONTROL LONG AGO. THE QUALITY OF OUR GOVERNANCE SUCKS BECAUSE THE QUALITY OF OUR CITIZENSHIP EQUALLY SUCKS. BOTH FED OFF EACH OTHER UNTIL IT TURNED INTO A VICIOUS CYCLE WERE UNABLE TO STOP. TODAY AND TOMORROW SHOULD BE DEDICATED TO STOP THAT VICIOUS CYCLE.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 00:12:30 +0000
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