Allocations for housing and those for intelligence operations cannot be compared “apple to apple,” the Department of Budget and Management responded, following criticism from some senators comparing the funds for the two programs.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon earlier said he does “not see the logic” for allocating P4 billion for the housing sector, and P9.6 billion for confidential and intelligence funds in the 2021 budget, despite millions in housing backlog.
“Hindi puwedeng i-compare iyan apple to apple kasi iba naman iyong purpose ng housing, iba naman din po iyong confidential fund,” Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said in an interview.
[That cannot be compared apple to apple because the purpose of housing is different from that of confidential funds.]
“At saka, kapag ganiyan po na maseselan na klaseng isyu ay ipinapaubaya po namin iyan particular sa Office of the President kapag ganiyan pong issue,” he added.
[And when it comes to sensitive issues ilke that, we leave it up particularly to the Office of the President.]
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development earlier reported that it needs at least P30 billion a year, over a period of 20 years, to construct 6.7 million houses and address the housing backlog.
