(CHRISTIAN DALE)

ITINURONG dahilan ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang pagtutok ng administrasyong Marcos Jr. sa short-term aid o ayuda kaya nauubos ang pondo ng bayan.

Sa isang pahayag, sinabi ni Duterte na kasalukuyang nasa “state of hemorrhage” ang panunungkulan ni Marcos Jr.

Sa halip aniyang mamuhunan sa long-term projects ay dinadaan sa ayuda ng administrasyong Marcos ang mga kinakaharap na suliranin ng bansa.

Ikinababahala ng dating lider ang pagkaubos at aniya’y malversation of funds ng government financial institutions (GFIs), kabilang na ang Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) at Social Security System (SSS).

Idinepensa naman ni Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan ang Marcos admin sa pagsasabing binabalanse nila ang public spending at kinokonsidera ang mas malawak na pananaw para panatilihin ang economic progress ng bansa.

Sa Palace press briefing, sinabi ni Balisacan na ang pondo ng gobyerno, kabilang na ang mula sa GFIs, ay inilaan para gamitin sa “productive beneficial projects.”

“Those funds have actually now been used but broadly, yes,” ang sinabi ni Balisacan nang tanungin kung ang PhilHealth, GSIS at SSS funds ay ginagamit para sa implementasyon ng infrastructure projects at pamamahagi ng tulong sa mga Pilipinong nangangailangan.

“They are meant to address the need for funding for those projects that have been identified and programmed for implementation within the year, to the extent that they are now in our program that has been well vetted by the economic managers, by the implementing agencies, and of course, by Congress. So, if they went to those areas that should be okay,” dagdag na wika nito.

“Infrastructure development and human capital development are “long term investments” that could propel growth in the country,” aniya pa rin.

Sinabi pa rin niya na ang emergency assistance ay nagsisilbi bilang isang “safety net for those who suffer or face shocks like those coming from calamities or unfortunate incidents.”

“So that’s the balancing that we have to do. And infrastructure development for example is key to that, and so is human capital development like health and education.”dagdag na pahayag nito.