DBM to safeguard budget from abuse

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) would ensure that the national budget would not be abused again, newly appointed Secretary Kim Robert C. de Leon said, following last year’s corruption scandal.

“We are also mindful of the past concerns that continue to hound the budget process, but let us be clear, we must not allow these to prevent us from doing what is legally mandated for us to do,” Mr. de Leon said in his inaugural speech on Wednesday.

“In the same vein, we will not allow the budget to be abused again for another flood control scandal. The President’s directive is clear, every peso will go to the people,” he added in mixed English and Filipino.

The country was embroiled with a corruption scandal last year, linking government officials, lawmakers, and contractors to substandard or nonexistent flood control projects.

Mr. de Leon also expressed openness to reforms that will make the budget the most powerful instrument to make the lives of Filipinos better.

“Let us remove unnecessary red tape. Push for digitization and digitalization so that programs and services will be funded when and where Filipinos need them the most,” he said.

“I am not new to our processes and systems, and we know that there are still opportunities to improve either by pursuing legislating the Philippine Budgeting Code or through our own internal processes,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile