SENATORS yesterday slammed the P10 billion slash in the proposed 2024 appropriation of the Department of Health (DOH) as they vowed to question Malacañang’s decision when the Senate committee on finance tackles the agency’s budget.
Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said the proposed budgets for other agencies can “suffer” but not for the health sector.
“We cannot compromise the budget for health program specially (the) implementation of (the) Universal Health Care Law which would benefit all Filipinos,” Ejercito said.
Sen. Francis Tolentino said he will ask for specific reasons why the Department of Budget (DBM) slashed the health department’s budget.
“The four specialty hospitals deserve more resources considering that they treat non-communicable diseases that are long-lasting such as pulmonary fibrosis and other chronic ailments, among others, affecting a large segment of our population,” Tolentino said.
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III vowed to scrutinize the details the DOH budget and stressed there should be no wastage and leakages when it comes to the purchase of vaccines, medicines, vitamins, and other supplies.
“We should not cut the budget for the basic services. But in calculating the amounts needed for the basic services we should also not allow the bloating of these amounts,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. said he will “definitely look” at the budget cut of the DOH during the floor deliberations. “Sa kasalukuyan nga ay parang kulang na kulang na ang ating pondong inilalaan para sa ating mga ospital kaya dapat sikapin na mas matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng sektor (The budget for our hospitals is very minimal that’s why we need to make sure that we provide for the needs of the health sector),” Revilla said.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa likewise said he will ask budget proponents why they cut the DOH budget “and where do they intend to transfer such cut before I can make the proper motion.”
Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, committee chairman, said lawmakers will find a way to augment the DOH budget to replace the proposed cut.
“I am confident the budget will increase after it passes through both houses and the bicam.
Legislators historically augment the program for medical assistance for indigents (MAIP),” Angara said.
Angara said the Senate could be done with scrutiny of the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for next year by November.
“We should finish our briefings sometime mid to late October. Then we come up with the committee report to be sponsored in early November,” he said.
The Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC) started its briefing on senators last week on how the proposed P5.768 trillion budget will be spent by the government next year.
The Senate Finance Committee is set to scrutinize the budget of the Judiciary this week “and the committee vice chairpersons are also setting the schedules soon for the departments and agencies they handle.”
CIFs
Angara said the proposed confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) to be given to a number of civilian agencies can be justified during the deliberations on the proposed national budget.
In an interview with ANC, Angara said the CIFs can be defended since these civilian government agencies have specific functions, including the Department of Justice (DOJ) which has a witness protection program which should be done in “secrecy,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) for data gathering to fight agricultural smuggling, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for improving the country’s cybersecurity, and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to address national security concerns.
He also said the Philippine Coast Guard’s CIF should be increased for its important role in the West Philippine Sea.
The DA and DFA are asking for P50 million each for its CIF, while the DICT is asking for P300 million, while the DOJ’s intelligence and confidential funds is at P471.29 million.
Data from the DBM showed the total confidential and intelligence fund proposed for 2024 is P10.142 billion, which is higher by P120 million compared to the CIFs this year.
The biggest share of the CIF will go to the Office of the President with P4.51 billion, P500 to the Office of the Vice President, and the Department of Education (DepEd) which is headed by Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio will get P150 million.
The defense department is asking for P1.89 billion in CIF funds, the Department of Interior and Local Government, P906.62 million; Department of Finance, P111 million; Department of Social Welfare and Development, P18 million; Department of Transportation, P15.6 million; and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, P13.95 million.
Other executive offices that have been allocated CIFs include the Office of the Ombudsman with P51.468 million, the Commission on Audit at P10 million, and the Commission on Human Rights with P1 million.
Angara said each agency will be given the chance to justify their proposed CIFs when their respective budgets are tackled on the floor.
“It’s up to each agency, that they have to justify why they need it in pursuance of which program,” Angara said.
