The national budget is a viable instrument to achieve national development, not a partisan weapon to suppress dissent and excise approved allocations for infrastructure projects in discriminated constituencies.

The shortsighted vindictiveness of the House leadership failed to consider the adverse economic impact of defunding infrastructure projects in the districts and constituencies of dissenting solons.

The adverse economic results include the following:

1. Infrastructure as the engine of growth is negated.

2. The generation of jobs due to the implementation of infrastructure projects is prejudiced, if not obliterated.

3. There is denial of the local residents’ access to work and income, which has a multiplier effect on the increase of purchasing power and economic activities.

4. The zero allocation in targeted districts derails the administration’s mantra of “Build, Build, Build”.

5. No projects amount to no taxes from the expected economic activities related to the halted implementation of infrastructure projects.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN