Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday scolded the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) over its decision that essentially hindered the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) from accessing all the funds that are intended for its rehabilitation programs.
At the Senate subcommittee hearing on DDB’s proposed P504.2-million budget for 2025, DDB Undersecretary Earl Saavedra said the revenue collections from the Philippine Racing Club, Manila Jockey Club, PAGCOR, PCSO, Metro Manila Turf Club, and its licenses, certifications and exemptions, as well as its fines and penalties, were not given to them in full.
Saavedra pointed out that the DDB’s use of these revenue collections for the establishment, maintenance, and support of the operations of treatment and rehabilitation nationwide is mandated under the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“‘Yung lagi naming mina-manifest every budget briefing na since marami pong pangangailangan para sa establishment, maintenance and operations of treatment and rehabilitation facilities nationwide, ‘yung amin pong humble manifestation is to allow DDB to use its collection,” Saavedra said.
(Every budget briefing, we consistently manifest the need for the establishment, maintenance, and operations of treatment and rehabilitation facilities nationwide, and our humble proposal is to permit the Dangerous Drugs Board to utilize its collections.)
Dela Rosa recalled that the same concern was already addressed during last year’s budget deliberations through a special provision in the GAA.
As an example, Saavedra cited the 2023 revenue collections where DDB was supposed to access over P126 million for its rehabilitation programs, but the DBM only approved the release of P77 million.
The DDB official said they were informed by the DBM that the excess revenue collections for 2023 after the P77 million is released will be earmarked for next year’s utilization. He emphasized that this scenario has been recurring since the time of former Senator Panfilo Lacson, the former sponsor of DDB’s budget in the Senate.
Among the projects the revenue collections are allotted to are the continuing implementation of community-based drug rehabilitation for mild and moderate drug dependents, and expansion of infrastructure for in-patient treatment and rehabilitation facilities in partnership with the Department of Health.
‘Law violator’
This prompted Dela Rosa to call the DBM as “law violators” as this was already addressed in the 2023 GAA.
“Sabihan mo ‘yung DBM na bina-violate niyo ‘yung batas. Law violator kayo nakalagay na nga ‘yan sa batas ayaw niyo pa sundin. Napakaliit na halaga yan eh. Bakit pa ipagkait sa inyo yan?” Dela Rosa said.
(Tell the DBM that they are violating the law. They’re law violators. It’s already stated in the law, but they are still not following it. That’s just a small amount. Why are you still being deprived of it?)
“Magkano lang ‘yung sobra niyang butal? Para tayong gago dito, gawa tayo nang gawa ng batas tapos ayaw sundin ng DBM, ‘di ba? Sabihin niyo kayo ang nagba-violate ng batas. Otherwise, huwag na tayo mag-budget hearing dito. Kayo na lang gumawa ng sarili niyong batas doon para kayo rin mag-implement. Ayaw niyo sundin ‘yung ginagawa ng Senado ng Congress na batas,” he said.
(How little is the excess in the revenue collection? It’s as if we’re fools here, creating laws that the DBM refuses to follow, right? They’re the ones violating the law. Otherwise, let’s not hold budget hearings anymore. You can just create your own laws and implement them yourselves. You don’t want to follow the laws made by the Senate and Congress.)
Apart from complying with the law, Saavedra said the DDB “definitely need the resources to fulfill not our just commitment but the mandate of the agency.”
House prioritized?
Dela Rosa then asked for DBM’s answers on the matter, but their representative in the hearing was only attending virtually as they were also attending the budget deliberations in the House of Representatives.
The DBM representative was also not able to respond immediately to Dela Rosa, which irked the senator.
“Mas priority ang House? Mas takot sila sa House kesa sa Senado? Ayaw nila magpadala ng tao dito tapos don sila sa House naka-focus,” Dela Rosa said.
(Is the House their top priority? Are they more afraid of the House than the Senate? They don’t want to send someone here because their focus is on the House of Representatives.)
“Pag mag-plenary ang DBM dito haharangin ko ang budget nila pag hindi ibigay…” he went on.
(When the DBM has its plenary session here, I will block their budget if they don’t comply.)
DBM’s response
Finally, Maricel Dizon, DBM Supervising Budget and Management Specialist, said that they are supporting DDB’s request for the increase of funding. However, she said the lack of report from the DDB prompted the DBM to decline.
“We asked the agency itself if meron silang proposal. However, wala po kasing na-submit na budget proposal for the increase of the P77 million. Kaya po di natin siya na-increasan this coming 2025 budget,” Dizon explained.
(We inquired with the agency itself if they had a proposal, but they haven’t submitted a budget proposal for the P77 million increase. That’s why we couldn’t include it in the 2025 budget.)
Responding to this, Saavedra said the DDB based their requests on the actual revenue collection.
“Kung sinasabi ng… DBM na dapat may pinropose kaming amount, napakahirap mag-anticipate kung magkano ‘yun. What if short ang collection, nagrequest kami ng mataas? What if naman po nag-request kami ng mas mababa tapos na-yield na collection mas mataas? We trust in the wisdom of the legislators when they indicated the provision under the GAA na dapat po yung allowed na i-access ay yung actual collection that’s the safest,” Saavedra answered.
(When the DBM says that we need to propose an amount, it’s very difficult to anticipate how much it will be. What if our collection falls short and we requested a high amount? What if, on the other hand, we requested a lower amount but the actual collection yield is higher. We trust in the wisdom of the legislators when they indicated the provision under the GAA that only the actual collection amount should be accessible, which is the safest approach.)
Dela Rosa suggested the DDB and the DBM to meet and settle the issue.
