Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte clarified that the National Tax Allotment (NTA) is different from congressional district allocations, following a statement from Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro regarding funding for Davao City.
Castro had referred to funds for Davao City amounting to P52.80 billion over four years.
Duterte said the NTA is an automatic appropriation for local governments and should not be treated as the congressional district allocation he was referring to.
According to Duterte, congressional district allocations are intended for projects and programs in each congressional district.
He challenged the government to present the General Appropriations Act and records from the Department of Budget and Management to establish whether congressional district allocations were provided to Davao City’s districts from 2022 to 2026.
Duterte said NTA records for the city cannot be used as an answer to questions about congressional district allocations because the two types of funding are different.
The congressman also raised the need for accountability over what he described as allegedly defective and corrupted flood control projects under the administration.
His clarification centers on the distinction between funds automatically allotted to local governments and funding intended for projects and programs within congressional districts.
Duterte’s call for the release of the GAA and DBM records seeks to determine whether congressional district allocations were made for Davao City districts during the 2022-2026 period.
The issue follows the Palace’s discussion of the city’s total funding and Duterte’s contention that the figures cited should not be equated with congressional district allocations.
The requested government records would provide the basis for determining the allocations Duterte is asking about.
