MANILA - Metropolitan Manila Development Authority acting Chairman Atty. Romando Artes on Thursday said there is nothing irregular in the transfer of Department of Information and Communications Technology funds to his agency for the implementation of the national broadband project.

Artes issued the statement in response to Northern Samar 1st Dist. Rep. Paul Daza's claim that the transfer of billions of pesos in DICT fund is illegal, saying in a privilege speech that there is no clear direction for it from Congress, which, according to him, sets the budgetary allocations for all government agencies.

Daza said Congress needs to be informed of the transfer.

“Yung dinownload ng DICT na pera sa MMDA para sa national broadband program... unang-una po, hindi P3 or P4 billion yung aming natanggap… Ang aming natanggap ay P1.1 billion lamang. Andito po yung resibo. So hindi po iyan apat na bilyon or hindi po tatlong bilyon,” Artes said in a press conference.

He explained that fund transfers are not prohibited by law and have been a normal practice in different government agencies including the MMDA.

Artes, who also served as MMDA chair during the Duterte administration, said they had a dialogue with then DICT Acting Secretary Emmanuel Rey Caintic about the fund transfer to facilitate their budget spending and implement their programs.

Caintic asked for MMDA's help to implement their broadband project because DICT had a low budget utilization rate at that time, said Artes.

He said they have all documents to support the fund transfer agreement.

Artes said the MMDA had also received funds from the Department of Transportation for the implementation of the EDSA bus carousel stations, and also for sewerage treatment projects along Roxas Boulevard in Manila as part of the Manila Bay cleanup drive.

“Ang pagda-download-ang inter-agency transfer of funds ay hindi po ipinagbabawal. Hindi po ‘to suspicious or illegal… Ang pagta-transfer po ay ginagawa among agencies dahil kami po ay nagtutulungan sa pag-i-implement ng mga projects," he said.

"Masasabi ko po na wala pong iligal dahil hindi naman po ito i-trinansfer para i-parklang po yung pera, kundi i-implement yung isang napakagandang proyekto kung saan makikinabang po yung mamamayan at ganun din po ang pamahalaan,” he added.

Artes said the DICT funds were allocated by Congress under the General Appropriations Act and there is no need for Congress’ approval for its transfer to the MMDA.

“Ang pondo po ito ay galing sa GAA at sa Spectrum Users Fund. Ito po ay allocated na ng Kongreso.At yung pag-download naman po sa atin ay hindi na po kailangan ng Congressional action dahil wala naman po tayong binago sa purpose for which it was allocated, which is para po sa national broadband program," he explained.

"Ang nag-iba lang po ay yung implementing agency. So hindi naman kailangan na hingin pa ang permiso ng Kongreso tungkol dito,” he added.

The DICT’s broadband project, according to Artes, was already bid out last Nov. 8. A technical working group is analyzing the documents submitted by the lone bidder A-WIN and Net Pacific Inc., which is a joint venture, he said.

He added that they received a lot of inquiries for the broadband project regarding the Terms of Reference, although he said the MMDA did not participate in the bidding process which was held in a transparent manner.

Artes said they are willing to communicate with Daza to explain their side.

The MMDA is also ready to face any possible congressional inquiry on the issue, he said.

ABS-CBN News tried to reach Daza for comment but has yet to get a reply as of this writing.

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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