RDC needs to reveal how P45M autonomy info fund was spent

EDITORIAL

The Cordillera needs at least P75 billion subsidy from the national government in the next ten years once the people will ratify a third attempt of the region to establish an autonomous government in order to spur socio-economic development in the countryside.

This, according to Baguio Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan who said the 10-year subsidy must be part of the provisions of the Organic Act to be crafted once the Regional Development Council in the Cordillera ascertain Cordillerans are ready for self-governance.

Under the proposed subsidy provision, the autonomous region will get P10 billion annually for the first five years and P5 billion per year for the last five years to fund implementation of vital development projects .

In order to prevent the allocation of the funds from being politicized by the officials of the regional government, Domogan said distribution of the subsidy must be spelled out in the autonomy law so that the barangays, municipalities, cities will continuously receive their own share even with change in leaders.

Apart from the subsidy, the local chief executive explained that after the lapse of the 10-year period, the national government will continue to provide its continuing financial and technical support to the regional and local governments so that there will be a continuity in the implementation of socio-economic activities that will improve living conditions of the people.

The national government, he added, should guarantee in the autonomy law that the regional government will have greater control of the region’s resources and manpower to establish its identity as a distinct region.

Furthermore, the benefits that the region is enjoying through the grant of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and other inherent powers will continue to be enjoyed by the local governments plus the fact that every province, city or municipality will remain independent from each other.

More importantly, he added, nationally paid employees should continue to be paid by their mother agencies and supervision and control will only be lodged by the regional governor while they will maintain to be under the secretaries of the concerned agencies in order to prevent misconceptions that the autonomous government will not be able to sustain their salaries.

According to him, it is unfortunate that Cordillerans failed to take advantage of the two earlier autonomy laws that were overwhelmingly rejected by the Cordillerans in plebiscites on January 30, 1990 and March 7, 1998, respectively, which could have already resulted in better economic standing of all local governments in the six provinces, particularly Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga and Baguio City.

Domogan’s proposals may be worth taking into consideration as the 1987 Constitution mandates the establishment of autonomous regions in the Cordillera and Muslim Mindanao in recognition of the role of indigenous peoples in nation building.

But then, is the Cordillera ready for autonomy at this time? Critics have been allergic to autonomy because of lack or lapses in consultation among the people when the previous proposed organic acts were crafted and subjected to plebiscites. These were deemed full of flaws that Cordillerans rejected these.

Now, before the RDC talks of again reviving the quest for Cordillera autonomy, it should first bare how the P45 million government fund intended as information campaign was spent. The body, composed of top regional officials should be transparent in its finances like on what happened to the P45 million. If they can’t be transparent on a much smaller amount as compared to the proposed P75 billion start-up fund, who will believe them when they push for autonomy? This early people are saying the P45 million was “intonomi” (burned by them for that matter.)