Huge P17.6-billion DA budget raises old corruption fears
By Gerry Baldo
09/22/2010
Legislators yesterday questioned the unusually huge budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) even as Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano said the agency’s budget proposal was not clear on where the whopping P17.6 billion allocation would be spent.
During the Arroyo admi-nistration, diversion of funds from DA projects was suspected as the usual sources
of political seed money.
“This lump sum allocation is vulnerable to corruption,” Mariano said.
Mariano demanded that Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala explain how he intends to use the funds allotted to the DA which included the P5.2 billion funding for the nationwide implementation of the National Rice Program, which, according to the lawmaker, is actually a continuation of the irregularity-laden Gintong Masaganang Ani (GMA) rice program under the Arroyo administration.
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100922hed6.html
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