RDC says money not used for political campaign: Autonomy funds unliquidated; execs deny P100M fund misuse

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Amidst clamor of concerned groups and constituents for Cordillera regional officials to be more transparent in use of government funds to promote autonomy, only Mountain Province has fully liquidated  money allotted by the national government.

National Economic Development Authority Cordillera regional director Milagros Rimando bared this but said all funds released by the Regional Development Council were being audited in the provincial level and re-audited by the NEDA and RDC.

Since 2009, a total of P75 million had been allotted by the national government for the autonomy campaign in the Cordillera, a primer made by the RDC information education committee of regional development and autonomy revealed. 

Broken down,P18  millionwas released in 2007, P15M in 2008, P15 M in 2010, P12 M in 2011 and P15 M in 2012.

“The RDC follows a Department of Budget and Management -sanctioned work and financial plan that lists the priority activities, programs, projects, and activities to be undertaken,” the primer said. “The appropriations were provided to RDC-Cordillera Administrative Region for the social preparations of Cordillera for autonomy.”

The primer added: “The amount cannot be used for other purposes since the General Appropriations Act has specifically identified which expenditure the money would be used. Using this fund for other purposes is technical malversation.”

The money was reportedly divided among the provincial governments of Mountain Province, Benguet, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Ifugao and Baguio City for their “information education campaign.”

Sources from the regional office of the Commission on Audit said all provinces including Baguio City were not able to liquidate autonomy funds and may face repercussion if they don’t do so.

Reacting to a question of the media on the matter, Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan said in an earlier forum at Baguio City Hall that how the funds were used or spent should be published in newspapers so the people will know.  

Critics, even those in government, have said if the RDC cannot liquidate the autonomy funds and be transparent about it, then it follows that if the region becomes autonomous, the manner on how billions of pesos allotted to the Cordillera would be spentis questionable.  

During the en banc RDC meeting in La Trinidad at the provincial capitolthird week of November, Rimando said they were still waiting for other provinces including Baguio City to liquidate.

Despite these, RDC officials said the special autonomy funds will not be used for political purposes.

The RDC is composed of provincial governors, government line agency directors and private sector representatives.

RDC chairman and Kalinga Gov.JocelBaac said autonomy funds will not be used in political campaign by any politician or official for their personal uses.

“We do not allow excessive expenditures, we see to it that they (provinces) spend prudently the amount for this (IEC) purpose and nothing else,” said Baac. “The NEDA is always transparent on the expenditures being done with the autonomy fund allocated to the  provinces.”

Meanwhile, Rimando presented during the capitol meeting the recent pulse survey  on renewed pursuit for autonomy commissioned by the RDC and NEDA thhroughthe National Statistics Office conducted between July to September this year.

In the survey, purported results showed about 46 percent of Cordillera voters are now aware of the renewed pursuit for regional autonomy and  33.7 percent would likely go for a “yes” vote if a plebiscite would be held.

Rimando said the likely “yes” vote is an improvement by 14.8 percent compared to the result of the survey that the RDC conducted in October 2007 to 2008 where 18.9 percent gave the same answer.

At the provincial level, the likelihood of a “yes” vote improved in all provinces ranging from a 6.5% improvement in Mountain Province to a 30.7% improvement in Apayao.

As requested by Cordillera congressmen and barangays,  the RDC is encouraging more IEC  in  the grassroots level,Rimando said, adding  they would be conducting trainings for speakers who would do IECs in the barangay levels in all municipalities  of the region.

The establishment of an autonomous region in the Cordillera is provided for under the 1987 Constitution. – Alfred Dizon with a report from MelvicCawis