President Benigno Aquino III INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
An old bill he once filed to minimize presidential power over the national budget has come back to haunt President Aquino.
But unlike the senator that he was then, the President now does not sound as enthusiastic in pushing for the proposed Budget Impoundment Control Act in the face of widespread criticism over the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and his own pork barrel.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma on Sunday spoke in general terms when asked if Malaca帽ang would support the fiscal measure, which was resurrected in the administration-controlled House of Representatives.
鈥淭he President and his administration are committed to the principle of 鈥榙aang matuwid鈥� or good governance,鈥� he said in Filipino in his regular radio Sunday briefing.
鈥淎ll steps that can help [in achieving this goal] are welcome,鈥� he added, but maintained that House Bill No. 2904 still had to be 鈥渆xamined.鈥�
The bill, which was introduced by members of a minority bloc headed by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, revives a similar legislative measure filed by Aquino when he was still a senator during the Arroyo administration.
Even the President鈥檚 own allies at the Akbayan party-list group filed a similar bill, arguing that Aquino 鈥渕ust understand the necessity of implementing under his term deeper reforms, particularly those that address the executive鈥檚 unregulated fiscal powers.鈥�
鈥淚t is not enough to say that he has not stolen a single cent from the nation鈥檚 coffers,鈥� the group said in a statement posted on its website.
鈥淧resident Aquino must make necessary steps to ensure that future administrations will not abuse the people鈥檚 fund to entrench their interests, such as what have been displayed in the past.鈥�
Akbayan, whose members have secured key positions under the current administration, also urged the President to 鈥済o beyond courage and make the short-term sacrifice of clipping his own fiscal powers to ensure the long-term gain of the people.鈥�
The old Aquino bill sought to 鈥渓imit executive influence over specific appropriations in the General Appropriations Act.鈥�
The President鈥檚 prerogative to impound portions of the budget, then Senator Aquino complained, 鈥渉as been misused and abused.鈥�
It also 鈥渉as emasculated the Congress鈥� authority to check the President鈥檚 discretionary power to spend public funds,鈥� Aquino claimed in his bill鈥檚 explanatory note.
Years later and now that he鈥檚 the President, Aquino is himself under fire for refusing to let go of his enormous pork barrel, which critics placed at around P450 billion in next year鈥檚 budget.
The President is also criticized for giving away P50 million to P100 million in additional pork to senators after he secured the conviction of then Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad admitted the amount came from pooled savings spent using the DAP, a mechanism introduced in 2011 to supposedly stimulate economic activity.
But Aquino himself admitted that 鈥�9 percent鈥� of these DAP savings had been spent on projects nominated by legislators, a mechanism similar to the one used in the graft-ridden Priority Development Assistance Fund.
This portion of the DAP increased congressional pork barrel by P12.8 billion in 2011 and 2012, based on official budget records.