Binay hits gov’t for last minute spending

The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay hit the Aquino government’s last minute spending, saying it left the incoming administration with little resources for its priority programs.

“The Aquino administration’s mad rush to spend during the election season has left the incoming administration of president- elect Rodrigo Duterte little room to work on during its first year,” Binay’s spokesman Rico Quicho said.

“After years of underspending, the Aquino administration decided to go on a spending binge obviously to swing voters to favor its chosen one but to no avail. Such recklessness will have as its casualty the priorities of the incoming administration,” he added.

Quicho noted that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P2.5 trillion or almost 84 percent of the P2.606-trillion national budget for 2016.

“We reiterate our call for our people to set aside political differences and support the new administration as it navigates its first year with only 16 percent of the budget,” Quicho said.

Binay’s camp has repeatedly criticized the Aquino administration’s “anemic” spending, especially for programs and projects to mitigate the impact of El Niño.

In the 2016 national budget, Quicho said about P19 billion has been allotted for subsidies, alternative livelihood projects, irrigation and other assistance projects for farmers affected by drought.

Quicho said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad refused to release in March the P900 million to the Department of Agriculture (DA) for projects intended to mitigate the effects of El Niño.

He blamed the government’s withholding of the fund for the killing of two farmers during a protest rally in Kidapawan City last month.

Quicho also slammed Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala’s claim that DA provided seedlings to farmers.

“Our farmers have been starving since December last year. How could Secretary Alcala expect them to plant the seedlings when they are already dying of hunger?” he said.

“This just shows the administration’s utter disconnect with what’s happening on the ground,” he added.

Quic ho said even Abad admitted in a congressional hearing on the 2016 national budget that the backlog in the disbursement of funds and the under spending or non- release of funds affected economic growth.

Binay came in fourth in the presidential elections held last May 9.