ISINISI ni Deputy Speaker Isidro Ungab kay dating House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano ang paglobo ng arrears sa pension and gratuity funds (PGF) ng mga retired military, police at iba pang uniformed personnels noong 2020 na umaabot sa P40 billion.

Ayon kay Ungab na siyang chairman ng House committee on appropriations noong panahon ni Cayetano ay umaabot sa P209 billion umano ang naibawas sa 2020 national budget kasama na ang P70 billion na PGF.

“I think this is the proper time to reveal what truly happened, everything that has happened. ‘Yun pong nag-finalize ng bicameral conference committee report was not anymore the chairman (ng Committee on Appropriations),” ani Ungab.

“Na-finalize po ‘yan sa Office of the Speaker. Andun si Speaker Cayetano and (then) Deputy Speaker LRay Villafuerte, who finalized the bicam report,” dagdag pa ng dating chairman ng nasabing komite.

Isa si Ungab sa mga tinanggalan ni Cayetano ng chairmanship nang kumulo na ang agawan sa liderato ng Kapulungan ng Kongreso sa unang bahagi ng 2020.

Ginawa ng mambabatas ang rebelasyon matapos mag-privilege speech si Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor at inakusahan si

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco na ninakawan ng pondo ang mga retired military, police, coast guard, bumbero at jailguards dahil binawasan ng P20 billion ang kanilang pondo sa ilalim ng 2021 national budget.

Sa interpelasyon ni ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap, sinabi nito na kumpara sa 2021 national budget, mas malaki ang pondong ibinawas sa PGF ng uniformed personnels dahil umaabot ito sa P70 billion.

“It was the most responsive budget we could craft and pass in the wake of the global pandemic, especially considering the fact that Speaker Lord Allan Velasco had to work double-time to pass the GAA and prevent a re-enacted budget,” ani Yap sa kanyang interpelasyon kasabay ng pagsasabing mas malaki ang ibinawas na pondo sa mga sundalo noong 2020 national budget.

Dagdag pa ni Ungab, maging ang kanyang Senate counterpart na si Senator Sonny Angara ay kinausap niya upang ipasa ang 2020 budget.

“Galit na galit ako kasi sundalo din ako e. I am also a soldier. That’s why I am happy when I was ousted dahil hindi ko kayang makain yung style na bulok,” ayon pa sa mambabatas.

“Ngayon lang ako nagsalita because I was mentioned on the floor. I did my best. Baka pagdating ko dyan next week I will tell you in a privilege speech to discuss the details what transpired in that room,” banta pa nito.

SENADO SINISI

Itinanggi naman ni Villafuerte ang alegasyon ni Ungab bagkus ay itinuro ang Senado na siyang may pakana sa pagbabawas sa PGF ng mga retired military, police at iba pang uniformed personnel.

“First, there was no such push by the then-Speaker or by myself at the bicam committee talks for the 2020 GAA bill. If I recall correctly, if there was such a move it was probably initiated by the Senate, not by the House contingent, let alone by the Speaker or by myself,” ani Villafuerte.

Sinisi rin nito si Ungab dahil hindi umano nito ipinagtanggol ang pondo ng mga sundalo sa kanyang mga counterpart sa Senado bilang chairman ng nasabing komite.

“Such absurdities simply indicate that the congressman is in a state of extreme distress over his failure to prevent the alleged P70-billion budget cut from happening, and has found the former Speaker and myself as convenient scapegoats for his own booboo,” ayon pa sa mambabatas. (BERNARD TAGUINOD)