Iginiit ni Senadora Risa Hontiveros na hindi kailangan ng Pilipinas ang Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Act of 2023 na nilagdaan ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. nitong Martes, Hulyo 18.

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Sa isang pahayag nitong Martes, binigyang-diin ni Hontiveros na ang national budget ang siyang “unang mabibiktima” ng MIF.

Dagdag pa niya, mababawasan nang malaki ang dividends ng Land Bank at Development Bank of the Philippines, ang kita ng PAGCOR, maging ang kikitain mula sa privatization program ng gobyerno sa taong 2024 at sa mga susunod pang taon dahil sa MIF.

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“With Maharlika that will be headed by the Finance Secretary, Mr Diokno is merely moving public funds around — from urgently needed expenditures to risky gambles; and from fund disbursements scrutinized and authorized regularly by Congress, to investments beyond the reach of elected representatives,” ani Hontiveros.

“With the time lost and political capital used up in promulgating the Maharlika Fund, especially since Mr. Diokno and the President still insist that GSIS and SSS funds should still collaborate with Maharlika — Mr. Diokno has failed in his mission of using the mandate of the Administration to pursue tax and fiscal reforms and to keep the National Treasury well-funded,” dagdag niya.

Binanggit din ng senadora ang inilahad umano ni Marcos sa una niyang State of the Nation Address (SONA) noong nakaraang taon.

“We must remember that the President’s first SONA enumerated more expenditures than new revenue sources.

“Yet, few as there were, none of the new revenue sources have come into being;

Yet the Maharlka Fund took away GFI and GOCC dividends that could have been available for items in the President’s first SONA: regional specialty hospitals, Build Better More, potable water systems and even the recently passed condonation of debts of Agrarian Reform beneficiaries,” ani Hontiveros.