Press Release
December 5, 2012

Transcript of Interview of Senator Franklin M. Drilon

On the 2013 budget

I will submit for the ratification of the Senate the bicameral conference committee report on the disagreeing provision of2013 General Appropriations Bill. This morning, both panels, the House and the Senate, have agreed on the disagreeing provisions, and they have all been reconciled. The budget is basically intact. It's P2.006 trillion minus the P100 million PDAF of Senator Lacson. The tope ten departments for 2013 are the following: the Department of Education which would have a budget from P238.8 billion, it will be P293.32 billion; the DPWH, from 2013 of 126.4 billion, it will now have P152.4 billion; the third would be the Department of National Defense, from P108.1 billion to P121.6 billion; the DILG including the PNP, from P99.8 billion in 2012 to P121.12 billion, the Department of Agriculture from P61.4 billion to P74.1 billion; the DOH is P45.8 billion today to P56.8 billion in 2013; the DSWD from P48.8 billion to P56.2 billion; the DOTC from P34.7 billion to P37.1 billion; the Department of Finance, P23.6 billion to P33.2 billion; and the DENR P17.5 billion to P23.7 billion.

Take note that the DOH budget does not include the earmarking that the sin taxes will provide once we have approved the measure. We estimate that it should at least be P23 billion; if not more, in addition to what is provided in 2013 budget.

On the sin tax bill

We have gone through the disagreeing provisions. We have agreed on the disagreeing provision, but we have set aside, for further discussion, the rates and earmarking. The various disagreeing provisions were discussed and agreed upon, but what remained to be discussed would be the rates and the earmarking on all. All the non-rate provisions on tobacco and alcohol have been agreed upon.

(Q: Will the 60-40 sharing be maintained?) There is no 60-40 in the bill that we are presenting, that the Senate passed. That is the guide, that is the computation we arrived at: the P23.5 billion for the cigarettes and the remaining P16 billion on the alcohol.

We have not discussed the burden sharing because that is precisely a matter that we have deferred for further discussion. We have no more time to discuss it.

We will meet again tomorrow.

(Q: On the 15% provision on local Virginia tobacco) There is none yet.

(Q: Are there still lobbyists?) I don't know, not with me.

(Q: How did the first meeting go?) Each side explained their position and we have agreed on provisions that have no relation to rates and earmarking.

(Q: On Cong. Singson's statement) He read a prepared statement and the chair of the house panel said we will discuss it at the appropriate time.

(Q: Will it be pass before yearend?) Certainly, yes.

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