Malaya, Apr. 1, 2019, House Members Trade Charges Over Budget.pdf

ffi$i"ess Insight Monday, April 1, 2019

HOUSE

"Rep. Castro has implied that my district had unduly obtained

reptesented funds for programs under the NEI which is the annual budget plan approved and submitted by Ptesident Dutette to Congress. "Such ptojects supposed to be funded by the GAA (General Appropriations Act) ate backed by f,easibility studies and have gone

funds under dre previous House leadership. This is baloney from a political chameleon like him. First, as I said, my district deserves such funds as these were legit projects

under the NEP that President Dutcrte submitted to the Congress after his third SONA. There vras nothing hanky-panky about this,"

through the rigorous teview or

he said.

vetting ptocess by Malacafrang," said Villafuette.

In contrast, Villafuerte

Villafuerte said there is nothing phony or fake about his allegation that thc House leaderhip commit-

said,

the House leadership committed

ted an "unconstitutional abomination" because the figures were

post-ratiEcation realignments since over P90 billion in public works under the tatified General Appro-

based on official data atalyzed by the Senate's Legislative Budget Management and Research Of6ce

priations Bill that wete onginally

(LBRMo).

intended for over 80 distticts "were illegally realigned during the break

"How can ttrese facts be fake news when such revolting postratification realignments were the reason why Senate President (Vicente) Sotto (III) had signed the

and health funds for programs

and allocated to other districts, particulatly to those of favored lawmakers."

"

Tklr

PAee'i

GAB 'vith sttong reservations'l Rep. Castto should be teminded that it is the House leadership that had ttied to puII a fast one on out

people by initially submitting a fake 2019 budget to the Palace," he said. The 2019 GAB ri'as transmifted to Malacaiang last week after senators frnally decided to break the impasse with conglessmen ovet the chaages that they made to the version approved by the bicameral conference committee. Sotto said last week said he was leaving it to the President to veto

the "uncoostitutional" realign ments, including some P75 billioo

woth of projects under the local inftasttucture program of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The P75 billion realigned

ap

ptopdatioos allegedly form patt of the total of P95 billion wonh

of realignments