DAVAO CITY – A lawmaker from the Makabayan-bloc asked Liberal Party bet and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas to leave his post in the department “for delicadeza’s sake”.
Bayan Muna Rep. Karlos Zarate said Roxas should now “irrevocably” leave his cabinet post while already “clearly pursuing his presidential ambitions.”
“As the so-called anointed one, Sec. Roxas is practically now at his disposal the vast machinery and resources of the government. Thus, questions about the sources of his early massive campaign ads is not outlandish,” Zarate said in a statement.
“That you already have the Presidential spokesman answering questions for Mar speaks volume of how the ruling party takes advantage of the government machinery to push this early his candidacy,” Zarate added.
Zarate earlier pointed out how the funds for the Department of the Interior and Local Government increased dramatically from P65.6 billion in 2010 to P104.5 billion in 2015, with a lump sum appropriations of P13.7 billion in 2015 alone.
Bayan Muna also criticized funding for housing and water supply under the DILG, which was described as outside the agency’s mandate. The DILG is funded P7.2 billon for water supply and management through the Bottom Up Budgeting and SALINTUBIG provision for potable water supply, and P1.2-billion assistance to informal settlers.
“We have pointed out how huge lump sums are vulnerable to abuse for corruption and patronage, especially with Malacañang’s brazen moves to perpetuate the pork barrel system through redefining the meaning of savings in the proposed national budget,” he said.
He said “(t)he adminstration has strategically placed, budgeted, supported, and defended its allies in government.” (davaotoday.com)
