Palace open to Congress probe of P51-B road users tax mess

03/10/2009

To show that it does not meddle in the moves taken by the Legislative, Malacañang yesterday it will not stand in the way of Congress in its eyed investigation of the government’s alleged misuse of the P51.3-billion road users tax..

This as the Road Board, whose members consists of officials of the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Transportation and Communication, Finance and Budget and Management, and representatives of three transport monitoring agencies, have submitted to the Palace official documents showing the breakdown of its P51.3 billion collection from the Motor Vehicle Users Charge (MVUC) from 2001 to November 30 last year.

“The Palace is open to this proposal of lawmakers for Congress to conduct a probe into the misuse of P51.3 billion road users’ tax revenues,” Presidential deputy spokesman Lorelei Fajardo said.

Fajardo vowed that the Palace will not brand the controversy as a “mere allegation that is without evidence.” “That is why we are saying that the Palace is open to their proposal to probe this,” she said.

The documents submitted to the Palace showed that 7.5 percent of the funds was allocated for the installation of road safety devices, including traffic lights, road signs and guard rails, among others.

“At least P46 billion of this amount (P51.3 billion) has been released for various projects with the bulk or 80 percent of this fund for road maintenance and majority going to Metro Manila projects because of its heavy traffic,” Fajardo moreover noted.

In a letter to President Arroyo, Road Board Executive Director Danilo Valero denied allegations that the board had granted the provincial government of Nueva Ecija a total of P2 billion worth of road tax projects in the last two years. He said it was merely P370 million and it was provided for the years 2007 and 2008.

Valero also clarified that the provincial government of Eastern Samar received a mere P1 million of road safety projects and not P350 million as reported.

He also said the local government of Nueva Vizcaya province did not receive more than P400 million worth of projects four years ago which allegedly remains unaccounted for. For 2005, the province was provided a mere total of P57.74 million worth of various Road Board projects, he added.

In his letter, Valero stressed that Republic Act 8794 provided for the imposition of the MVUC, “an improved charge,” which has been integrated into the vehicle registration fees, and the establishment of the Road Board, whose main responsibility is to implement the prudent and efficient management and utilization of four special funds: the Special Road Support Fund, Special Local Road Fund, Special Road Safety Fund, and Special Vehicle Pollution Control Fund.

Upon thorough evaluation, the Road Program Office of the DPWH consolidates projects proposed by the district engineers from all engineering districts nationwide.

The members of the Road Board deliberate on the projects to be funded by the MVUC from the “multi-year work and annual work programs,” Valero qualified.

“The Road Board does not handle any of the funds of the MVUC. The collection is made by the Land Transportation Office, which then remits the same to the Bureau of Treasury,” he asserted. Riza Recio

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