Lacson appeals to lawmakers: Don’t meddle in gov’t project implementation
MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Tuesday, February 18, appealed to lawmakers in both houses of Congress not to get involved in the implementation of government projects and reminded them of the scope of their jobs as legislators.
Lacson made the appeal at the press conference of senatorial candidates of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas, ahead of their campaign kickoff in vote-rich Metro Manila at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City. He and weigh in on the hot issues of transparency and the fight against corruption.
“Ang panawagan ko, sana lahat ng mambabatas, mapa-congressman man o senador, ‘wag makialam sa implementasyon ng mga proyekto. Kasi ang trabaho namin magbalangkas at mag-apruba, mag-submit ng panukalang batas para maging batas. Ngayon, kung makialam si congressman o si senador sa implementation, mapa-infra project o mapa-social services, mapamudmod ng kung anu-anong ayuda, diyan kasi nawawalan kami ng moral ascendancy,” Lacson said.
(My appeal is for all lawmakers, whether congressman or senator, not to get involved in the implementation of projects. Because our job is to draft and approve, and submit bills to become laws. Now, if a congressman or senator interferes in the implementation, whether infrastructure projects or social services or distributing various kinds of aid there, we lose our moral ascendancy.)
The former senator said the job of Congress ends once a bill is passed, enrolled, and signed by the President, and would be followed by oversight of the implementation of the law by the executive, and how the funds allotted for this purpose was spent.
“Kasi meron kaming mandato ng oversight. Paano kami mag-i-implement ng oversight sa proyekto ng executive branch kung kami mismo, makikihalo sa implementasyon ng proyekto na hindi naman namin trabaho?”
(We have the mandate of oversight. How can we implement oversight of a projects of the executive branch if we ourselves get involved in the implementation of a project that’s not part of our job?
He added that the Constitution is clear on the separation of powers.
Lacson made the appeal and reminder amid calls for politicians to keep out of cash aid programs. Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) chief Meynard Sabili had said that politicians should not get involved in the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in particular.
Among Lacson’s fellow candidates, reelectionist Senator Imee Marcos has been attending financial aid distributions under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
AICS is a social services program that provides medical assistance, burial, transportation, education, food, and financial support for other services or needs of individuals or families.
During the press conference, Lacson also said, in reply to questions, that one way to curb corruption in government is to make all transactions “fully digitized,” to remove human intervention. – Rappler.com