The final Senate version of the 2009 General Appropriations Act (GAA) slashed the budget allocations of the Commission on Audit (COA), Commission on Elections (Comelec), and Commission on Human Rights (CHR) by a total P140 million, a member of the bicameral committee revealed Tuesday.
 
The COA and the Comelec took major slashes of P100 million and P39 million, respectively. The CHR's proposed budget of P253 million was also slashed by P1 million.
 
House deputy minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep.Satur Ocampo, a member of the budget bicameral committee, warned that the budget cuts could “hamper the operations of some of the few bright spots in the bureaucracy.”
 

Although the bicameral committee has yet to convene, Congress leaders have vowed to pass it before the end of the month. Adjustments are being made in the budget to fund P160 billion or around half of the total P300 billion economic stimulus package of the Arroyo administration.
 
“These budget cuts are only part of the Senate version of the proposed 2009 budget. There are also massive cuts to health care, education, housing and local governance that will definitely affect the general public. These cuts do not bode well for social services in this critical time of economic hardships the people face,” Ocampo said.
 
On Monday, Ocampo joined calls by Senator Panfilo Lacson and Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto Guingona III for transparency in the budget deliberations. He hit the “one-on-one” deliberations between Senator Edgardo Angara and Qurino Rep. Junie Cua, who both chair the appropriation committees in their respective legislative chambers.
 
“The two chairmen have to explain what they agreed on. We are waiting,” Ocampo said.