Lacson sees P300-M for each LGU
LINGAYEN—It is possible for local government units to have a bigger budget than what the Internal Revenue Allotment schedules.
This proposition was advanced by former Senator Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson during his press conference at the Hotel Consuelo, after he had a dialogue with Lingayen residents last week.
Describing it as his “Equal Distribution of Budget Advocacy,” Mr. Lacson, said “excess budgets” of national agencies can and should be downloaded to the cities and municipalities, in order to promote equal opportunities for development.
He said his research showed that the national government yielded as much as P50-billion in excess budget in 2013 based on regular budgets and automatic appropriations or 20 percent of the 2015 national budget, which is P2.606-trillion.
The average LGU income, according to him, is P100-million, and his proposition can provide each LGU at least P300 million.
“These excess budgets will not affect the functions of national agencies, and therefore should be given to LGUs,” he said.
IRREGULARITIES
The former legislator, who said he intends to seek a mandate for the presidency, disclosed that he will seek to introduce a new budgeting system after his team found irregularities in the Unified Accounts Codified Structure (UACS). Some items or codes are missing, he said.
He noted that P11-billion funded projects of the National Irrigation Administration are non-existent in UACS.
According to the government manual, UACS aims “to establish the accounts and codes needed in reporting the financial transactions of the national government” of the Philippines.
Mr. Lacson also proposes that planning of programs and projects among regional, provincial, municipal/city, and barangay development councils be integrated for a more effective utilization of development funds.
Lacson ran for president in 2004 and will consider running depending on the people’s support. “In 2004, I was more passionate. Now, I’m more practical,” he said. (Johanne Macob)
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