Sen. Cayetano wants clear guidelines on Bangsamoro block grant

MANILA – Senator Pia Cayetano on Monday calls for a clear-cut guidelines on how the Bangsamoro government would appropriate the Php34-billion block grant from the national government.Cayetano made the call during the start of the Senate plenary debates on Senate Bill No. 2894, or an act providing for the Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR).”We just want to ensure that this funding will trickle down to every people of the Bangsamoro government,” Cayetano said.Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., chairman of the Senate committee on local government and sponsor of the bill, explained that even the original draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) does not provide guidelines on how the annual block grant will be appropriated by the Bangsamoro government.”This is a contentious issue. I agree that we have to put rigorous and stringent measures how the funds will be used for the development in the region. Certainly any suggestion that you would make is most welcome,” Marcos said to Cayetano.Marcos said the annual block grant from the national government to the Bangsamoro would range from Php34 to Php35 billion.According to the government peace panel, the block grant is comparable to the internal revenue allotment of LGUs that will be sourced from the national revenue collections and released annually by the Central government to the Bangsamoro government.During the plenary discussion, Cayetano also sought clear guidelines on how the funds from foreign loans and Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) would be spent by the Bangsamoro government.”Perhaps we should have also provide more transparency on how the Bangsamoro government would enter into the foreign loans,” Cayetano said.Marcos said the transparency and guidelines in acquiring foreign loans and grants would defend on the legislators.The Senate debates on the Basic Law on BAR will continue on Tuesday with Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV expressing to interpolate next. (PNA)