Inakusahan ni Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman ang Department of Public Works and Highways na nagpasok ng “alien projects” sa panukalang badyet ng kagawaran para sa 2024.
Sa budget deliberation ng ahensya kahapon, nagpahayag si Lagman ng pagkabahala na ang pambansang alokasyon ng DPWH sa susunod na taon ay binubuo ng mga alien projects, na iminungkahi nang hindi pumasa sa pagbusisi at validation ng mga kaukulang District Engineering Offices ng kagawaran.
“I have some concerns. These concerns are also the concerns of many of the members of the House. We hope that in the submission of projects for inclusion in the National Expenditure Program, the submission must be cleansed of ‘alien projects’ which had been validated and scrutinized by respective district engineering offices,” sabi ni Lagman kay Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan.
Ayon kay Lagman, may hangganan ang infrastructure projects para sa isang partikular na distrito batay sa mga tinatanggap na pamantayan na hindi dapat labagin ng mga dayuhang proyekto.
“Priority projects should not be bumped by these [alien] projects in the submission of the National Expenditure Program,” giit niya.
Bago ang budget hearing, sinabi ni Lagman na nagkaroon siya ng dialogue kay Bonoan, kung saan isiniwalat ang nasabing alien projects.
“Hindi ko lang pinag-uusapan ang aking distrito. Nagsasalita ako sa ngalan ng iba pang mga miyembro na maaaring hindi ka ma-access dahil sa isang kadahilanan o iba pa,” sabi ni Lagman.
“I hope that we can be very vigilant in safeguarding the submission to the NEP,” added Lagman, noting that only validated projects must be in the budget proposal.
Gayunpaman, tiniyak ni Bonoan kay Lagman at sa House committee on appropriations, na tumitingin sa panukalang budget ng ahensya para sa 2024, na ang paghahanda ng pambansang badyet ay magiging ganap na koordinasyon sa mga miyembro ng Kongreso para sa paglalaan ng paggasta sa kani-kanilang distrito.
“I’m not talking only about my district. I am talking on behalf of the other members who may not have access you because of one reason or another,” ani Lagman.
“I hope that we can be very vigilant in safeguarding the submission to the NEP,” dagdag niya at iginiit na dapat ay validated projects lamang ang nasa budget proposal.
“This has been emphasized to all our district and regional offices actually that whenever they are going to submit actually their proposed programs and projects under the regional budget proposals, we wanted this to be make sure that these are fully coordinated with members of Congress,” ani Bonoan.
Samantala, hindi isinara ni Lagman ang kanyang mga pintuan at sinabing kung ang mga dayuhang proyekto ay kasunod na validated, at kung kinakailangan at may kaugnayan, dapat itong isama pagkatapos isumite ang NEP sa Kongreso.
“Wala tayong problema diyan. But this should not bumped off priority projects and it should not impair the ceiling,” aniya.
Ang mga miyembro ng Kongreso, ayon kay Bonoan, ay maaari pa ring mag-tap sa DPWH kung sila ay naniniwala na ang kanilang mga prayoridad na proyekto ay hindi kasama sa NEP.
“As we have mentioned to all the members of Congress, if you believe that the priorities that you have in mind that are not the ones being included in the submitted National Expenditure Program for the legislative district, we have this process that we can go through an errata in the preparation of the final version of the budget, your Honor,” anang DPWH chief.
