A MAKABAYAN bloc lawmaker yesterday questioned the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) use of P4.107 billion for fertilizer vouchers, saying it is illegal because the source of the fund cannot be used for such purpose.
Rep. Arlene Brosas (PL, Gabriela) said the amount was taken from the almost P13 billion excess revenues from rice tariffs in violation of Republic Act 11598 (Cash Assistance for Filipino Farmers Act) which “clearly stipulates that rice import tariff revenues in excess of P10 billion should be used to directly provide cash assistance to farmers who are tilling two hectares and below.”
“In fact, the DA then already under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued memorandum orders authorizing the use of unprogrammed funds worth P4.1 billion excess rice tariff revenues for fertilizer vouchers. Malinaw naman na hindi direct cash assistance ang fertilizer vouchers. Labag ito sa batas (It’s clear that fertilizer vouchers are not direct cash assistance. It’s against the law),” Brosas said.
She cited a memorandum order issued on October 17, 2022 where the DA said the “fund shall be used by beneficiaries as a discount on the retail price of urea fertilizers” to help rice farmers meet the recommended urea fertilizer usage and increase rice production in the country.
Brosas, however, said the question that should be asked is how the DA really spent the P4.1 billion fund: “Sinong supplier ng fertilizer ang nakinabang? Nangangamoy fertilizer fund scam version 2.0 ito. Nakakagalit malaman ito sa harap ng unli-importasyon ng bigas (Who was the fertilizer supplier who benefited from this? It smells like fertilizer fund scam version 2.0. It’s infuriating to know this in the face of the unlimited importation of rice).”
During the Arroyo administration, then Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante was accused of masterminding the alleged diversion of P728 million in fertilizer funds to the 2004 presidential campaign of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is now a deputy speaker for Pampanga.
When pressed on the details of the fertilizer voucher program during the budget hearing at the House last Tuesday, agriculture officials said they will provide a report on the utilization of funds under the program.
Brosas said the funds were part of the P13.9 billion transferred to DA from the controversial Support for Infrastructure Projects and Social Programs or SIPSIP, or roughly 99 percent of the total P13.19 billion SIPSIP budget under the unprogrammed appropriations (UA) in the 2022 national budget.
“In short, sinipsip ng DA sa ilalim ni Marcos Jr. ang buong SIPSIP pagkaupo nya sa pwesto. Nakakabahala kung ganito pa rin ang mangyayari sa susunod na taon (In short, the DA under Marcos Jr. siphoned off the whole SIPSIP budget when he assumed power. It’s worrisome if the same thing will happen again next year),” Brosas said.
Under the unprogrammed funds in the proposed 2024 national budget, the SIPSIP, which has been renamed as Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs, will have an allocation of P50.03 billion.
“DA’s admission that unprogrammed funds (UA) were used for fertilizer vouchers is proof that UA is a form of discretionary pork barrel funds. Kaya dapat kilatisin ang P281 billion na UA para sa susunod na taon (That’s why we have to scrutinize the P281 billion UA funds for next year),” the lawmaker said.
