VOL. 8 ISSUE 104 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015
P 15.00 • 20 PAGES
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‘IN AID OF ELECTION’
Zarate allays fears 2016 National Budget may be used by administration for elections
EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society
By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA
B
AYAN Muna Party-list Rep. Karlos Isagani Zarate said he fears the 2016 national budget will be used “in aid of the election.” Zarate said the people must watch Congress closely as it deliberates the 2016 budget since it is the highest budget proposal so far since 1928, amounting to P3.002 trillion. Zarate said out of the P3.002 trillion budget, at least P400 billion is indicated as lump sum fund under the special purpose fund of the Office of the President. “If we called the 2015 budget an election budget, we view the 2016 budget as a continuing budget in aid of election,” Zarate said. He said the proposed conditional cash transfer budget had increased to
almost P70 billion compared with the P68 billion on the 2015 budget. He said during the time of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the conditional cash transfer was just over P5 billion. Zarate also said the 2016 proposed budget still has the controversial disbursement acceleration program (DAP) despite the prohibition of the Supreme Court. “Niingon na ang Supreme Court that the executive department cannot declare savings anytime, unya icentralize niya ang savings into one common fund… because again budget na siya for a pork barrel, specifically presidential pork barrel,” he said. The 2016 budget is set to pass Congress on October 9.
INSIDE EDGE
DPWH abandons plans to construct 5 flyovers P2 SC suspends lawyer P3 NOT EVERYONE IS HAVING FUN. This young boy must have been worn down by the heat and fatigue as he dozes off on his mother’s shoulder during the Kadayawan festivities in San Pedro Street last Sunday. Lean Daval Jr.
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