Transcript of Interpellation by Senator Risa Hontiveros - (DBM - BARMM Budget)
November 8, 2024
Transcript of Interpellation by Senator Risa Hontiveros
Plenary Debates on the 2025 National Budget (DBM - BARMM Budget)
Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): So una Madam Chair tungkol sa intergovernmental coordination and action plan. I understand that the national government and the BARMM government met through the intergovernmental relations body or IGRB last October, so just last month to discuss the issue. Can we be given a summary of what came out of that meeting, lalo na patungkol sa budget ng Sulu, Mr. President?
Sen. Poe: While the Supreme Court decision on the exclusion of Sulu is stated to be immediately executable, we have to wait for the decision's finality since a motion for reconsideration was filed. The National Government committed to ensure maintaining services in Sulu and the smooth transition, taking a whole-of-government approach to continuously deliver essential services in the region.
It is encouraged to maintain the status quo for the BARMM and Sulu province to proceed as usual with payments of salaries to its employees and implementation of already funded projects.
SRH:Maraming salamat, Madam Chair.
Sen. Poe: An intergovernment relations body agreed to form a technical working group tasked with developing guidelines to ensure minimal disruption to essential services.
SRH: Maraming salamat, Madam Chair. Also for anticipating part of my follow-up question. So, ipaaabot po namin itong quite reassuring na sagot nyo dun sa mga civil society organizations na dumulog sa aming mga consultants tungkol dun sa commitments ng national government at understanding nila sa BARMM government, lalo na tungkol sa pag-mentena ng mga serbisyo, pag-tiyak ng smooth na transition, pagsisiguro sa status quo, pati sa usapin ng mga sweldo, ng mga empleyado ng Sulu government, yung pagpapatuloy ng mga proyekto, at yung pagbubuo ng technical working group na magbubuo din ng internal guidelines.
So, at least, kongkretong action points ito, at essential yun para malinaw yung pag-intindi natin sa collaborative efforts in place para tugunan yung isyung ito. Nung pinagkasunduan po nila ito, may kasunduan din ba when all of these will be put into action? Immediate po ba? Or are they at present already being implemented, Mr. President?
Sen. Poe: Status quo for now. All of the commitments that have to be provided until the Supreme Court has a final decision. All the services should continue. In the meantime, a technical working group is being formed to ensure some sort of transition. Either way, whatever the decision of the Supreme Court will be, I suppose. And that's really quite tricky because there will always be parties that will feel aggrieved by the decision whether yes or no.
SRH: Yes, Madam Chair. I agree with the good Chair. And so at least the TWG is already being formed as of now. So hopefully there will be no dropping of the ball on either end. Salamat po.
So dako naman ako dun sa regional governments budgetary provisions for Sulu. We know that in 2024, the BARMM allocated 9.08 billion pesos to Sulu with 4.5 billion pesos going towards salaries for about 7,800 workers.
These include personnel from the school division, staff at hospitals, and employees of higher education institutions in the province. Since the interim parliament is currently working on legislating their budget for 2025, can you tell us, Madam Sponsor, if this or any funding for Sulu is still included, Mr. President? Sen. Poe: So basically, status quo, okay? So the salaries and benefits of local government in the province of Sulu shall continue and are to be charged against available local government funds, okay? So ALGU, yung Mandanas-Garcia. Meron pa rin sila doon share. But for the personnel of the various provincial field offices in the different ministries under BARMM government will continue to be charged against their corresponding appropriations from the annual block grant. So sa ngayon, Mr. President, dahil hindi pa naman final, ganun pa rin, yung funding ng block grant, dun sa mga nakasama na sa BARMM. Ngayon, yung mga hindi pa nakasama sa BARMM, tuloy-tuloy pa rin dun sa NTA at kung ano pang mga ibang sources of income nila as was in the past. Diba? So unless masasama sila sa BARM, hindi sila masasama dun sa block grant na yun.
SRH: Salamat Madam Chair. So, if I understand it correctly, that item allocated by BARMM to Sulu na totaling 9.08 billion pesos, it is still included?
Sen. Poe: Yes, in this NEP.
SRH: Kasi status quo for now.
Sen. Poe: So, I guess, sa Sulu, BARMM anticipating that Sulu is already part of their group. So there's a 9 billion block grant pala is part of the BARMM block grant but that cannot be, unless it's already a final decision by the Supreme Court, right now kung ano man yung natatanggap ng Sulu, ganon pa rin yung makukuha nila. Okay, so, yeah, sorry, this is so confusing. So, apparently, all the provinces within the BARMM will have that block grant. So, aside from the NTA, meron pa silang block grant.
SRH: Yes, Madam Chair. Naiintindihan ko yung malinaw na sinasabi ng good sponsor, Mr. President. So included pa rin yung allocation ng BARMM para sa Sulu. So, ibig sabihin, yung national government will not need to provide funding for programs and services in Sulu that were originally devolved to the BARMM. Tama pa rin po ba yung understanding ko up to this point, Mr. President?
Sen. Poe: Yes.
SRH: Salamat. So ano yung legal implications kung meron man? Legal implications nito, considering nga yung pinag-uusapan natin na yung Supreme Court decision, pero yung ongoing motions for reconsideration pwede ba itong iinterpret na ang BARMM ay nag-assume ng responsibility para dun sa devolved programs and services kahit pa may ongoing legal process? Kung tama pa rin yung understanding ko, and I'm on the same page with the good sponsor up to this point, ano pong measures are in place para siguruhin na hindi naman itong maglilikha ng mga kahit anong legal complications or conflicts in the near future?
Sen. Poe: Well, I mean, for now, everything is, this status quo in terms of services. Pagdating sa mga legal implication, you can never say anybody can question anything. But for now, we are just waiting for the final decision of the Supreme Court. In the meantime, since meron pang nag-ku-question yan, tuloy lang muna kung ano yung una nang naging kasunduan.
SRH: Salamat po, good sponsor. And I suppose, both the BARMM government and the national government can in all honesty can claim good faith na kumikilos sila pareho through the IGRB yung Intergovernmental relations body ayon sa best understanding nila ng batas at ng sitwasyon. So dako na ako sa huling paksa ko dito, Mr. President, sa National Government's Plan and Budgetary Adjustments. So, given that the House of Representatives did not explicitly account for the potential budgetary needs of Sulu in their version of the General Appropriations Bill, ah, ito na, na-anticipate na rin pala ng good sponsor, Mr. President, sa unang diskusyon namin. Tatanungin ko ko pa sana kasi na how will the national government ensure that essential services like healthcare, education, and social services continue without interruption at ano yung plano ng national government para tugunan yung budgetary needs ng Sulu. I think napag-usapan na po namin ito ng good sponsor earlier. Siguro itong huling tanong na lang, good sponsor, what changes if any to the proposed budget would you recommend to make sure Sulu gets the funding it needs? Kung mayroon pang hindi accounted for ng status quo situation at saka yung plan na napagkasunduan ng national and regional governments. Because we need to take action now to avoid any disruptions in services and support Sulu's continued growth. Quite reassuring na yung nasabi ng good sponsor, but baka kung meron silang gustong idagdag, kaugnay nitong paksa.
Sen. Poe: I think it's better for us to await also the results of the technical working group, how it will be properly organized and devolved. But one thing I know is sure, we've worked so hard to reach this stage with the BARMM that what we're trying to achieve here is peace among our brothers in Mindanao, our brothers and sisters in Mindanao. So this government, and I think I share the sentiments of our colleagues here, including those from the executive who work in the executive, we will make sure that they don't feel na nakukulangan sila or napapabayaan sila because we're not going to risk destabilization there by being irresponsible and not looking at the proper transition for whatever decision the Supreme Court will be making for the province. SRH: Maraming salamat, good sponsor. I guess in closing itong recent discussion natin ay isa na namang konkretong halimbawa nung sinasabi ng lahat ng peace processes so far sa ating bansa that through the peace process we want to generate a peace dividend to address the roots of the previous armed conflicts and to really lay a basis for a just and lasting peace kasama yung sustainable development. So muli and for the last time this evening, maraming salamat, good sponsor at Mr. President.
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