Tolentino reiterates urgency of creating a transition fund for Sulu
September 20, 2024
Tolentino reiterates urgency of creating a transition fund for Sulu
Senate Majority Leader Francis 'Tol' Tolentino once again called on various government agencies to work together to come up with a transition fund to cover the expenses urgently needed by Sulu province, following its severance from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
At the hearing on the proposed budget for 2025 of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and its attached agencies, Tolentino, who presided over the sub-committee hearing, asked Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos how the agency has been assisting Sulu, as the latter transitions from BARMM to Region IX.
Region IX, the Zamboanga Peninsula, is being presumed as the region that would absorb administrative jurisdiction over the province.
"As we discuss this, there is no budget for Sulu's police vehicles, so how can they conduct patrols? The funding for the salaries of DILG personnel in the province has stopped," Tolentino remarked.
"You have regional officers in Region IX, and perhaps Sulu will be transferred there. What happens now to Sulu? Is it possible to carve out something from your budget allocation to form a Sulu fund? This could come from a small share from each agency, but if pooled, this transition fund could be substantial enough," the senator told Abalos.
In response, Abalos said that just like other agencies, the DILG did not anticipate the exclusion of Sulu from BARMM, based on the recent decision of the Supreme Court, which he noted is immediately executory.
"We are coordinating with the Ministry of the Interior Local Government of BARMM if it would be possible to keep the status quo. In the same token, we face a dilemma on how to raise these funds from what we currently have. It is difficult, but we're trying to scrape some funds using every means possible," shared Abalos.
Tolentino then turned to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to ask whether the agency had come up with a directive yet to guide government agencies in assisting the province.
Responding to the senator, Carlos Castro, a director at the DBM said the agency is in the process of drafting a comment to establish a funding mechanism for Sulu, which would cover provisions such as salaries, government assistance and other related matters - including the consideration of a transition fund for the province.
Tolentino stressed the need to expedite the issuance of the DBM directive to ensure that vital government services in the province would not be disrupted.
"We're not just talking about DILG. We're talking about the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, DSWD and the rest. We all need to help Sulu," the senator stressed.
Throughout the hearing that lasted seven hours, Tolentino relayed the same appeal to other agencies under the DILG, such as the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Bureau of Fire Protection.
Tolentino, tuloy ang pagkalampag para bumuo ng Sulu transition fund
Muling kinalampag ni Senate Majority Leader Francis 'Tol' Tolentino ang iba't ibang ahensya ng gobyerno para pagtulungang makabuo ng isang 'transition fund' na tutugon sa mga kagyat na pangangailangan ng Sulu, matapos itong mahiwalay sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Sa pagdinig para sa panukalang badyet para sa 2025 ng Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) at attached agencies nito, tinanong ni Tolentino, na syang namuno sa pagdinig, si Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos kung paano tinutulungan ng ahensya ang Sulu sa transisyon nito mula BARMM tungong Region X.
Ang Region IX, o Zamboanga Peninsula, ang sinasabing sasalo sa pangangasiwa sa inihiwalay na probinsya.
Bilang tugon, inihayag ni Abalos na maging sila ay nagulat sa pagkakahiwalay ng Sulu sa BARMM batay sa utos ng Korte Suprema, na aniya'y immediately executory.
"Nakipag-ugnayan na kami sa Ministry of the Interior Local Government ng BARMM kung maaaring mag-status quo muna. Gayunpaman, sinisikap din naming kumalap ng pondo para matulungan ang Sulu," pagbabahagi ni Abalos.
Inusisa rin ni Tolentino ang Department of Budget and Management (DBM) kung nakapaglabas na ito ng kaugnay na direktiba para sa mga ahensya ng pamahalaan.
Sagot ni director Carlos Castro ng DBM, kasalukuyang nagbabalangkas ng direktiba ang ahensya para itatag ang isang 'funding mechanism' para sa Sulu na tutugon sa mga probisyon nito, gaya ng sweldo ng mga kawani, serbisyo gobyerno, at maging ang isang transition fund para sa lalawigan.
Pinaalala ni Tolentino, dapat pabilisin ang pag-iisyu ng direktiba para masigurong di mapuputol ang operasyon ng mga lokal na pamahalaan ng Sulu.
"Hgit sa DILG, dapat ding magsimula ng ganitong inisyatiba ang iba't ibang pangunahing ahensya, gaya ng Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, DSWD, at iba pa. Dapat tayong magtulungan para sa Sulu," pagtatapos nya.
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