LEGALITY OF NOY'S CCT PROGRAM QUESTIONED, VIOLATING LOCAL GOVT CODE
MANILA, MARCH 17, 2011 (STAR) By Edu Punay, Helen Flores - The Supreme Court (SC) has been asked to stop the government from implementing its P21-billion conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.
Former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. [photo] and two barangay officials questioned the legality of the program, saying it violates the Constitution and the Local Government Code.
Petitioners said Malacañang had recentralized functions of the national government like delivery of social welfare and health services already assigned by law to local governments.
Local governments, not the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), should implement cash dole-out projects, they added.
At Malacañang, presidential spokespman Edwin Lacierda said the answer to Pimentel's petition could be found in the Local Government Code.
Part of the P21-billion fund for the CCT program involved foreign loans, which the national government could handle.
Lacierda said the Office of the Solicitor General would answer the petition before the SC.
"The only prominence that the CCT has this year is because the budget has been increased to P21 billion," he said.
"But this has been ongoing even before the previous administration."
The administration implemented the program to directly help the poorest of the poor cope with everyday needs, especially food and other basic necessities, Lacierda said.
Pimentel was joined by Sergio Tadeo, Association of Barangay Captains chairman in Nueva Ecija; and Nelson Alcantara, chairman of Barangay Sta. Monica in Quezon City.
"Instead of allocating the P21-billion budget directly to the LGUs to enhance the delivery of this devolved basic service, what we have is a recentralization of government functions by providing the DSWD, as the lead implementing agency of the CCT, with the full control, and not merely supervision, over identification of the program beneficiaries and the manner by which the conditionalities for health care and social welfare and development services are to be delivered and complied with," read the petition.
CCT program is legal, says Malacañang 03/16/2011 | 09:23 PM
The Solicitor-General's office will comment on a petition filed by former senator Aquilino Pimentel III and two barangay chairmen before the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the Aquino administration's P21illion conditional cash transfer program, said on Wednesday.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda [photo] also told reporters the CCT program is legal. "Under the Local Government Code, there is a provision that requires… that provides that the national government can handle those funds if there are foreign loans involved,".
"Part of the P21 billion CCT involves program loans from Asian Development Bank," he added.
There was no grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Aquino administration as the program has been going on for years, the Palace official maintained.
"This not the first year the CCT was here. CCT is getting attention this year because the budget was increased to P21 billion, but this has been ongoing. There are foreign assisted loans as part of the CCT. This is not something that's new. We are well aware of the petition," Lacierda said.
On March 14, Pimentel, together with Association of Barangay Captains president Sergio Tadeo and Nelson Alcantara of Barangay Santa Monica, Quezon City filed before the Supreme Court a 23-page petition to declare the CCT program as unconstitutional and to keep the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa from implementing it. — Amita Legaspi/ VS, GMA News
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