CLARK FREEPORT – Budget Sec. Butch Abad bared here yesterday the discovery of some 67,000 unfilled plantilla positions in the national government since the Arroyo administration, despite the allocation of some P29 billion for them.
In an interview with Punto, Abad said this was the reason why the Aquino government wants to segregate funds for such vacancies in a lump sum under the control of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Abad was reacting to the allegation of Sen. Joker Arroyo who warned against alleged moves of Pres. Aquino’s allies to impose the martial law practice of controlling the budget of constitutional agencies.
Arroyo lashed at Malacanang for creating in the 2012 budget a lump sum appropriation covering P101 billion for “unfilled” positions in various government agencies.
“The evil geniuses that conceived this scheme, which is a throwback to the martial law practice, want the judiciary to beg to the executive,” Arroyo said.
The House of Representatives has approved at the committee level the special provision, which refers to the so-called Miscellaneous Personal Benefit Fund in the proposed P1.8-trillion national budget.
Abad admitted that of the unfilled positions, about 34 percent was in the judiciary.
“I am surprised by Sen. Arroyo’s allegations. Our purpose is mere transparency and accountability,” Abad said.
Abad noted “agencies with 49 percent of plantilla positions unfilled, others with 42 percent and another with 34
percent.”
“We are puzzled where the funds went. As far as we know, instead of the funds being used to recruit personnel, they were converted into savings and used for gimmicks and other things,” he said.
He stressed that “what we want is for the funds to be used for their intended purposes.”
Abad lamented the failure of the government to fill in the vacancies despite the dire need of lawyers, doctors and nurses in government.
He said the DBM’s putting the funds for hiring personnel into lump sum under it was in mere “compliance with authorization from Congress.
“When Congress approved the budget, the budget included funds for such positions,” he stressed.
Abad said the Aquino government has no intention to use its control over the lump sum as leverage against other branches of the government.
“If today they (government agencies) submit the list of persons to fill up the positions, we will immediately release the funds for the vacancies,” he said.
Abad explained that the 67,000 vacancies uncovered recently referred to positions which have been vacant for a long time. This, he noted, is apart from new positions, such as those for needed teachers, intended to be created and budgeted for 2012.
He said that the government has already started to hire part-time teachers for state colleges and universities under its new policy to fill in needed positions. “They are part-time positions because salaries in SUC’s are low,” he noted.
Earlier, Sen Franklin Drilon, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, also defended the lump sum move, saying this would boost the government’s anti-corruption campaign and lead to transparency.
He noted that the funds would be automatically released as soon as a government office needs them to hire needed personnel.
