Published
By Ellson Quismorio
The decision of the
House of Representatives to reduce the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC’s)
budget to a mere P1,000 should serve as a warning to agencies with bad track
records.
Thus, reckoned
AKO-Bicol Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA)
Party-List Rep. Jericho Nograles last Thursday, or the fourth day of the
plenary debates on House Bill No. 6215 or the proposed P3.767-trillion General
Appropriations Bill for 2018.
“The P1,000 budget
allocated by the House to the ERC is a reminder that the power of the purse
lies in Congress,” said Batocabe, president of the 46-member Party-List
Coalition (PLC) in the House.
“And as the body
mandated by the Constitution, Congress allocates public funds and oversees how
this is being spent. What happened to the ERC shall serve as a warning to other
agencies to shape up, or otherwise be shipped out,” he added.
Nograles hinted that
the House of Representatives will restore the ERC budget from a measly P1,000
to P365 million only if its chairman, Jose Vicente Salazar, voluntarily gives
up his post. He called on Salazar to “make the ultimate sacrifice by stepping
down” as chairman of the beleaguered agency.
Salazar, who has
already been suspended by Malacañang several times the past few months, is
still facing administrative charges for alleged serious dishonesty, gross
neglect of duty, grave misconduct, violations of the Government Procurement
Act, and violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public
Officials and Employees.
It was last Tuesday
when ERC budget sponsor Zamboanga City 1st District Rep. Celso Lobregat,
suggested a budget of P1,000 – the lowest allowed allocation – for the
particular attached agency of the Department of Energy (DOE). It was given the
thumbs up by the Minority interpellator and swiftly approved. (With a report
from Ben R. Rosario)
No comments:
Post a Comment