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Tolentino questions readiness of gov’t to implement Mandanas Ruling: Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino asks the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), during the continuation of the Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC) briefing on the proposed 2022 national budget Thursday, September 9, 2021, how prepared it is to implement the Mandanas Ruling of the Supreme Court next year. According to Tolentino, based on the various circulars issued by the DBM, it appears that the government is not prepared for the implementation. “Is there a transition plan for this? I read something that you will be asking the national government agencies involved to submit their transition plans by September 30. And here we are discussing the national budget and our local government units (LGUs) discussing their local budgets without knowing that the national government agencies cannot even produce a transition plan as we speak,” Tolentino said. DBM Usec. Tina Rose Marie Canda explained the reason why the transition plan was just being put into place is because of the reality that it is not going to happen in a “one fell swoop”, but it’s going to be a 3-year program. “We want a more smooth transition of funds and devolution of programs from national to local and that is the reason we are proceeding slowly in this issue,” Canda added. The Mandanas ruling specifies that the just share of LGUs, also known as internal revenue allotment, must be computed based on all national taxes, and not just from the National Internal Revenue Taxes. It also mandates full devolution of powers to the LGUs giving them the management and the budgeting of basic services and facilities in their localities. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)