Economic managers of the administration have formally asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to exclude at least 145 priority infrastructure projects nationwide from the ban imposed on such projects during election season.
In a letter dated February 18, 2019, obtained by journalists Wednesday, and said to be submitted to Comelec Chairman Sheriff M. Abas, economic managers said allowing these projects to continue even during the election period will enable the Duterte administration to increase public infrastructure investments' share on domestic output to 6.9 percent by 2022, from only 4.4 percent in 2017.
“In order to ensure timely implementation of the priority infrastructure projects, the Economic Team of the Administration is respectfully requesting the Commission for an exemption of the priority infrastructure projects from the election ban,” the letter said.
It also pointed out that “the exemption will facilitate implementation and ensure that there are no delays and disruption of these national priority projects.”
The letter was signed by National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno.
Earlier, economic managers said that their request for exemptions were brought about by the delayed approval of the 2019 national budget, which held back the implementation of numerous projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program, among others.
Citing Comelec Resolution No. 10429, which in turn, referred to Omnibus Election Code (OEC), the letter stated that “release, disbursement or expenditures of public funds” and the “construction of public works, delivery of materials for public works and issuance of treasury warrant or similar devises for a future undertaking chargeable against public funds” are prohibited from March 29 to May 12, 2019.
The letter, however, noted that Section 261 (v) of the OEC states that the ban “shall not apply to ongoing public works projects commenced before the campaign period or similar projects under foreign agreements” and that “it shall be the duty of the government officials or agencies concerned to report to the Commission the list of all such projects being undertaken by them.”
Included in the projects that are requested to be exempted from the election ban are the Mindanao Rail Project, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 rehabilitation project, Metro Manila Subway Project Phase 1, Philippine National Railway (PNR) North 1 (Tutuban-Malolos), PNR South Commuter (Solis-Los Banos), all of which are to be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highway’s (DPWH).
Other DPWH projects that are included in the list are the Tacloban Airport, Davao International Airport, Catbalogan Airport, and Central Mindanao (M’lang) Airport.
Diokno, in his weekly “Breakfast with Ben” briefing Wednesday, said school building projects of the Department of Education (DepEd) as well as projects of the Department of Agriculture (DA) are also included in the request.
Cost of these projects are “substantial”, he said.
He added that DPWH Secretary Mark Villar has submitted a separate request to the Comelec.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1062467
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