Senate drops safeguard provision on CCT savings By Gerry Baldo 12/16/2010

Senate drops safeguard provision on CCT savings

By Gerry Baldo 12/16/2010

The House minority bared yesterday the removal of a provision in next year’s budget that would prevent the unused portion of the massive P21 billion budget for the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) from turning into savings the use of which would be under the discretion of the Office of the President the following year.

Without the provision, savings from the CCT could easily become part of the President’s own “pork barrel,” Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay told reporters.

During a House interpellation before the ratification of the budget, Cavite Rep. Joseph Abaya, House appropriations committee chairman, indicated that Sen.Franklin Drilon, a staunch ally of President Aquino, insisted on removing the provision, saying it is unconstitutional.

Drilon, who is Senate finance committee chairman, supposedly said removing the provision would “limit the constitutional power of the President to declare savings and likewise realign them.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20101216hed3.html