January 7th, 12:05am January 6th, 9:59pm Hananeel Bordey

Leaders of the House of Representatives vowed to immediately process the transfer of the estimated P46 billion funds raised from the Motor Vehicle User’s Charges (MVUC) from the abolition-bound Road Board to the National Treasury to comply with a recent directive of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The House will designate members for the bicameral conference to facilitate the Road Board abolition bill

Mr. Duterte, at a briefing after surveying the destruction caused by typhoon “Usman” in the Bicol region, said he will propose the use of the Road User’s Tax for the building of sturdy evacuation centers and houses for typhoon victims.

We want to strip MVUC collections of its status as a hidden off-budget item that will be spent by one person in an untransparent way.

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued a marching order to the House to speed up the Road Board abolition bill, saying the measure was “urgent” and “indispensable” to help Mr. Duterte in producing “tangible results” during the second half of the President’s term.

The present House leadership advocated the 100-percent dismantling of the Road Board.

“The focus must now be on implementing things quickly and efficiently, in all fronts,” Arroyo said.

To meet Mr. Duterte’s wishes, the House will designate members for the bicameral conference to facilitate the Road Board abolition bill on the first session day of the year on 14 January, House Majority Floor Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said.

“The President has made it clear on how he wanted the Road Board abolition done. During his visit to calamity areas in Bicol recently, the President spelled out the need to use proceeds of the Road User’s Tax or the MVUC in helping calamity victims,” Andaya said.

However, he said the Chief Executive wanted a “total Road Board abolition,” claiming the utilization of the MVUC in the proposed bill with the Senate is a “complete opposite” of what Mr. Duterte desired.

“The present House leadership advocated the 100-percent dismantling of the Road Board.

We do not want its powers to be merely transferred to three secretaries who will in effect be Three Road Kings who can spend the MVUC at will,” he added.

Appropriation is a function of the legislature which should not be delegated to the Road Board.

At the bicameral conference, both chambers should ensure all funds from the MVUC will go straight to the general fund or the Treasury to guarantee transparency in its spending, Andaya said.

“We want to strip MVUC collections of its status as a hidden off-budget item that will be spent by one person in an untransparent way,” he added.

“The proceeds need to be included as a line-item fund in the annual budget of the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). This way, the real and full funding level of the DPWH is reflected clearly, unlike today when MVUC spending is segregated and treated as a non-national budget expenditure,” Andaya said.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon gave the same opinion of projects funded through the tax proceeds to be included in the GAA to promote transparency.

“Put it in the GAA. Appropriation is a function of the legislature which should not be delegated to the Road Board. Transparency is important,” Drilon said.

House leaders rescinded House Bill 7436 or the Road Board abolition bill and claimed that Mr. Duterte wanted to retain the graft-ridden body.

The Senate, however, said since the bill has been transmitted to the chamber, the House could no longer withdraw it.

Mr. Duterte, however, made clear his desire to have the Road Board abolished.