Philippines' vice president camp slams govt for rushed spending in last days in office

Source:Xinhua Published: 2016/5/17 22:34:36

The camp of the Philippines' vice president has accused President Benigno Aquino's outgoing government of hasty spending in the remaining days of office, saying it left the incoming administration with little resources for the priority programs. 

"The Aquino administration's mad rush to spend during the election season has left the incoming administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte little room to work on during its first year," Rico Quicho, spokesman of Vice President Jejomar Binay, has said. 

Binay's office said the Department of Budget and Management has released 2.5 trillion pesos (60 billion U.S. dollars) or almost 84 percent of the 3.002-trillion national budget for 2016. 

"After years of under-spending, the Aquino administration decided to go on a spending binge obviously to swing voters to favor its chosen one but to no avail. Such recklessness will have as its casualty the priorities of the incoming administration," Quicho said. 

In the just wrapped-up elections in the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte has won a large portion of an almost 16 million votes. He is poised to become the 16th president of the Philippines and assume the office on June 30. 

But the government denied the allegations by saying that it was "untrue and without factual basis." 

"The administration has always adhered to the principles of sound fiscal management in handling the people's funds and shall pass on to the incoming administration a robust, liquid and financially-stable national coffers," a senior government official said on Tuesday.  



Posted in: Asia-Pacific, News

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