DBM ordered to restore cuts in PNP budget

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PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to restore the cuts made by Congress in the 2025 budget of the Philippine National Police (PNP), particularly those made in the police’s information technology (IT) programs, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.

Remulla said the President’s directive was anchored on his veto message when he signed the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) on December 30, 2024.

Remulla said section 6 of the veto message stated that “in the exercise of the budget execution actions vested upon the Executive branch, it is understood that the increases in appropriations and new budgetary items introduced by the Congress in the budget shall be subject to the national government’s cash programming, observance of prudent fiscal management, applicable budgeted execution rules and procedures and approval by the President based on the programs by priorities of the government.”

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The same section states: “’So therefore, considering that such increases in appropriations and new budgetary items will have corresponding effects on the outputs and outcomes of the agencies concerned, the DBM shall inform the said agencies of the changes in their respective appropriations and require the submission of their revised performance targets.”

“So, in that language, puwede talagang i-veto ng Presidente on a line item basis (Based on that language, the President can veto line items),” he said.

He added that the DBM will “reprogram the budget as according to the President’s instructions.”

Rep. France Castro (PL, ACT) reminded the Executive branch that the President has no power to amend a law passed by Congress, saying Marcos needs explain how he intends to carry out his plan.

“As a rule hindi pwedeng baguhin ng Presidente ang budget na isinabatas ng Kongreso nang ganun lang. Ipaliwanag niya kung paano niya isasagawa ang sarili niyang dagdag-bawas sa badyet. Magdedeklara na ba siya ng savings sa simula pa lang ng taon? (As a rule, the President cannot change the budget passed by Congress just like that. He should explain how he’ll do his own addition-subtraction in the budget. Will he declare savings at the start of the fiscal year?)” she said.

Remulla said the President issued the directive during their meeting yesterday where he reported about the priority programs of his agency this year and its current budget status following the signing of the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

PNP BUDGET

Remulla said lawmakers slashed the PNP budget’s for its IT program, which included the Enhancement of the National Police Clearance System which was reduced from the proposed P619 million in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to P232 million in the GAA; the Establishment of the Safe Camp Security System from P472.668 million to P161 million; and the PNP Drug-Related Data Integration and Generation System from P533 million to P196 million.

The cuts, he said, were realigned to fund an almost P1 billion allocation for the purchase of an All-Terrain Amphibious Vehicles (ATV) for the Bicol Region.

He also said that a P500 million funding for the PNP’s intelligence fund was added by Congress.

Both the P500 million intelligence funds and the P1 billion funding for the acquisition of the ATVs are not part of the original spending request of the PNP.

“So, as instructed by the President sa ating Budget Secretary ay iri-revert ang budget ng IT at tatanggalin iyong additional 500 million pesos intelligence fund na nilagay sa GAA (So, as instructed by the President to our budget secretary, the IT budget would be reverted back and the additional P500 million intelligence funds in the GAA will be removed),” Remulla said.

Remulla said the P500 million intelligence fund would be allocated for the launching and bidding out process of the PNP’s Integrated 911 System.

He added that the funding for the ATV acquisition would also be used to restore the cuts in the IT programs and augment funding for the 911 system project.

911 SYSTEM

Remulla said the government is set to pilot test the Integrated 911 System in the Greater Manila area, Cebu and one area in Mindanao in June.

He said the 911 centers would be put up in all regions after the pilot run.

He said the system would be language-sensitive which would enable the callers to talk to agents using their local dialects.

He said the 911 system aims to provide quick response and service to people in need wherever they are in the country.

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“Ang problema lang, as per experience sa lahat ng 911 centers dito sa Pilipinas, 60 percent ng tawag ay prank (The problem is, as per experience by all 911 centers in the Philippines, 60 percent of these are prank calls),” he said.

To address this, Remulla said either motorcycle-riding responders would initially be deployed to concerned areas or the barangays would be tapped to verify if the emergencies are true; or the callers would be asked to upload a video stream of the emergency.

Asked if prank callers could be held liable, he said it may be difficult since the national identification system and data from the telecommunication companies are not yet integrated. – With Wendell Vigilia

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