GABRIELA party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas yesterday assailed the government over what she called an “unconstitutional” special provision in the proposed P5.856 trillion national budget for 2023 which lumps together the cash aid for farmers with the alleged “pork barrel funds” of the Department of Agriculture (DA) under unprogrammed appropriations.
Brosas told the budget hearing on the DA’s proposed P184 billion budget for next year that under Special Provision Nos. 1, 2 and 10 covering unprogrammed appropriations, excess revenues from the rice tariffication program will essentially be lumped together with other sources of additional revenues, from which funds for the Support for Infrastructure Projects and Social Programs (SIPSP) will be sourced.
Congressmen led by Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto have been questioning the more than P588 billion unprogrammed appropriations for 2023, saying it should be itemized to avoid misuse of public funds.
Brosas, who is a member of the Makabayan bloc, said the “maliciously constructed provision under unprogrammed funds allows the siphoning of excess rice tariff revenues for SIPSIP and is glaringly unconstitutional.”
“Madam chair, this is unconstitutional. Malinaw sa Section 25 (2) Article VI of the Constitution na dapat limitado ang paggamit ng pondo sa kung ano ang purpose ng appropriation na tinutukoy (It is clear under Section 25 [2] Article VI of the Constitution that the use of funds should be limited to the purpose of the appropriation being referred to),” Brosas said.
Brosas added: “This modification of the (budget provision’s) purpose is unconstitutional, madam chair. Why would you place the support for rice farmers under a provision for supporting infrastructure and other social projects?”
Under Republic Act 11230 and Republic Act 11598 (Cash Assistance for Filipino Farmers Act), revenues in excess of P10 billion under the government’s rice tariffication program must be used for the provision of cash assistance to farmers.
“Madam chair, malinaw na hindi lang guidance on the disbursement of funds ang special provision No. 1 sa unprogrammed funds (Madam chair, it’s clear that special provision No. 1 on unprogrammed funds is not only a guidance on the disbursement of funds). It is a pool of funds, from which ‘SIPSIP’ can be drawn from. At nakahalo dito ang excess revenues mula sa rice tariffication program na dapat ay direktang mapakikinabangan ng mga magsasaka (The excess revenues from the rice tariffication program, from which farmers should directly benefit, is mixed with it),” Brosas said.
The militant lawmaker said it was clear from the DA’s own admission that the excess revenues for cash assistance for farmers was lumped together with the SIPSP funds which is worth P149 million.
Brosas said the cash assistance for farmers law, which would be financed by the unprogrammed fund, will be put in peril because of the illegal special provision.
“Yung kakarampot na ayuda na para sa mga magsasakang biktima ng unli-importation ng bigas, gusto pang sipsipin para sa pork barrel na SIPSIP sa 2023 budget (They want to siphon off the measly financial aid for farmers who are victims of the unlimited importation of rice for their pork barrel in the 2023 budget),” Brosas said.
Agriculture budget officer Thelma Tolentino told the panel that the allocation was still unprogrammed, which means that it would only be funded if the government gets to collect enough revenues for the fiscal year which, in this case, is the excess tariff collection under the rice tariffication law.
“At this point, we are not yet certain of the amount of tariff collection. Once the budget from excess tariff collection is forwarded to DA, the cash assistance for rice farmers will be sourced from that line item (SIPSP),” Tolentino said.
“Once the BOC (Bureau of Customs) determines the excess (tariff collection), the DA will use that amount for the rice farmers’ financial assistance,” she added.
House appropriations panel vice chair Iloilo Rep. Janet Garin of Iloilo agreed with Brosas, assuring her that she would get an audience with the DA to correct the provision in the 2023 national budget.
Earlier this year, the DBM released P8.05 billion to the DA as cash subsidy to some 1.5 million rice farmers who will get P5,000 each within the second half. Last year, the government secured P18.9 billion from rice tariff collections.
