Tag: Rolando Andaya

Andaya: House merely “itemizing” appropriations in Congress-approved nat’l budget

(Eagle News) — House appropriations committee chair Rep. Rolando Andaya on Tuesday, March 5, said the House of Representatives was merely “itemizing” the appropriations under the national budget for 2019 approved by Congress to make them “more transparent and easy to scrutinize.” Andaya, also the Camarines Sur representative, made the statement after Senator Panfilo Lacson accused Speaker Gloria Arroyo of realigning P25 million from the Department of Health fund to solons who voted for her […]

House panel to continue hearings on alleged budget anomalies even after P3.757-trillion allocation hurdled bicam

(Eagle News)—-The House appropriations committee will continue hearings on the alleged anomalies in the P3.757-trillion national budget despite it having been passed by  the bicameral conference committee. This is according to panel chair Rolando Andaya Jr., who issued a statement on Saturday, Feb. 9, a day after the national budget was approved jointly by the House of Representatives and the Senate. “If the good Secretary thinks he can now relax and continue with his illicit […]

Lacson to congressmen, senators: Make public proposed amendments to national budget for 2019

(Eagle News) — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday, Jan. 29, urged members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to make public their proposed amendments to the P3.7-trillion national budget for this year. In doing so, Lacson noted that the bicameral committee, where the House of Representatives and Senate versions of the proposed national budget will be reconciled, was a “venue for sneaky horse trading among legislators.” He said for his part, “in the […]

Andaya steps down as House majority leader; Castro assumes the post

(Eagle News)–The House of Representatives has a new majority leader. Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. stepped down from the post on Monday, Jan. 21, and nominated Rep. Fredenil Castro instead. With Andaya as House majority leader, the passage of the proposed national budget had been delayed, as he launched inquiries into what he said were anomalies in the same. Andaya will assume the helm of the Committee on Appropriations. Former Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles held […]

House panel on rules kicks off probe into alleged anomalies in proposed nat’l budget for 2019

(Eagle News)–The House committee on rules on Thursday, Jan. 3, kicked off its investigation into what House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said were “anomalies” in the proposed P3.757 trillion national budget for 2019. The first hearing kicked off in Naga City, Camarines Sur. Andaya had alleged a “favored” contractor, C.T. Leoncio Construction, linked to Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno through his in-laws,  had cornered at least 30 government projects in the billions of pesos. He also […]

Andaya: House to heed Duterte’s call for Road Board to be abolished

(Eagle News)—–House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. on Saturday, Dec. 22, said the House of Representatives would heed President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the Road Board to be abolished. In a radio interview, Andaya said there should be “real abolition” of the board, which determines where the motor vehicle users’ charge goes. The MVUC is paid by motorists upon registration of their vehicles. According to Andaya, the proceeds “need to be included as a line-item fund […]

Pimentel confirms Palace’s statement: Duterte wants Road Board abolished

(Eagle News) — Senator Koko Pimentel on Friday, Dec. 21, confirmed President Rodrigo Duterte indeed wants the Road Board abolished. According to Pimentel, the chief executive told this to him  during Senator Manny Pacquiao’s 40th birthday celebration in General Santos. “..President Duterte called for me and told me in very categorical terms that ‘we should abolish the road board’,” Pimentel said. He said he told Duterte that the Senate, under Pimentel’s leadership then, already passed […]

Lacson believes Diokno should not resign as Budget secretary

(Eagle News) — Senator Panfilo Lacson does not believe Budget Secretary Ben Diokno should resign despite allegations he has links to a supposedly favored contractor. In the first place, Lacson, in an interview aired over CNN Philippines on Thursday, Dec. 20, said he “cannot imagine” Diokno dealing with contractors directly. “I’m not defending Sec. Diokno. Pero sabi niya nga nakipag-deal siya sa mga agencies pag nag-appropriate at saka nag-release ng budget,” Lacson said. According to […]

De Lima amid allegations of irregularities in proposed national budget: Duterte “weak, incapable of stopping corruption”

(Eagle News) — Senator Leila de Lima described President Rodrigo Duterte as a “weak and incompetent” leader “incapable of stopping corruption,” following  the allegations of corruption being hurled at some members of the House of Representatives  and at his Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno. “I winced upon reading in the news that, according to (House Majority Leader Rolando) Andaya, projects worth P75 billion had already been bid out even before the passage of the budget, with 30 […]

Andaya: Mayor from Bicol says former Cabinet official behind “parking” of at least P300 million worth of infra projects in proposed 2019 budget

(Eagle News)–A mayor from Bicol has said the person behind the  “parking” of at least P300 million worth of infrastructure projects in the proposed 2019 budget is a former Cabinet official seeking a post in next year’s elections. This is according to House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya, who issued a statement on Sunday, Dec. 16, in apparent response to Senator Panfilo Lacson’s allegations a staff member of a senator offered a part of his pork barrel […]

Lacson urges removal of “congressional insertions” in House version of proposed budget for 2019

(Eagle News)–Senator Panfilo Lacson  urged the reduction or removal of what he said were uncalled for congressional insertions worth  P4.3 billion in the House version of the proposed P3.7-trillion budget for 2019. Lacson made the statement after House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr., also  Camarines Sur’s first district representative, said the allocations — allegedly P2.4 billion worth of projects in House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s second district in Pampanga, and P1.9 billion in projects in Andaya’s province — […]

House to resume 2019 budget deliberations on Thursday, Aug. 16

(Eagle News) — The House of Representatives will resume budget hearings on Thursday, Aug. 16. House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya said this was after the House leadership–represented by him and Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo—“established clear lines of communication” with President Rodrigo Duterte in a meeting on Tuesday in Malacanang. “We clarified that there is no rejection in the proposal of the Palace. A lot of the hype was most probably due to miscommunication,” he said. In […]