MAY 21, 2013

NR # 3110B

Elected officials urged to disclose election expenditures

Inspired by the insurmountable lead over his opponent, reelected Rep. Winston Castelo of Quezon Citys second district today urged all newly elected public officials to make full public disclosure of their election transactions and expenditures. Castelo said all expenditures and disbursements of items and election paraphernalia should be posted in websites, newspapers, and other publicly accessible and conspicuous places to demonstrate accountability and transparency in the use of public funds. He urged all winning senators, congressmen, governors, city and municipal mayors and councilors and those public officers and other fund officers involved in the utilization of public funds to disclose a summary of all incomes and revenues from both public and private sources, as well as a listing of all their disbursements, expenditures and utilization of funds for the entire year. Public trust is a basic ingredient in the governments menu of transparency, accountability and good governance. This will serve public notice how timely and prompt disclosure will effectively plug possible holes for graft and corruption in the local bureaucracy level, Castelo said. Castelo filed a measure called Local Government Transactions Disclosure Act of 2012 in the 15th Congress, which seeks to amend Section 352 of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Units Code of 1991. I will push for the passage of this measure in the 16th Congress, he said. Castelos bill mandates the full disclosure and posting of the Annual Budget, Quarterly Statement of Cash Flows, Statement of Receipts and Expenditures, Trust Fund (PDAF) Utilization, 20% Component of the IRA Utilization, Gender and Development Fund Utilization, Statement of Debt Service, Annual Procurement Plan or Procurement List, Items to Bid, Bid Result on Civil Works, Goods and Services, and Abstract of Bids Calculated. Under the measure, the fiscal items in accordance with the forms, procedures, and schedules prescribed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), as well as those that may be jointly issued with the Commission on Audit (CoA) and other cognizant agencies, shall be fully disclosed and posted in publicly accessible and conspicuous places, aside from websites and newspapers. Moreover, the DBM, in collaboration with COA, shall issue rules and regulations, promulgations and guidelines for the effective implementation of the provisions of this Act. (30)
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