Ginawa ni Tolentino ang paalala sa deliberasyon ng Senate Committee on Finance sa 2021 P4.5-trillion National Expenditure Program.
Nabanggit ng senador ang mga ulat na pinagbabalakan ng BSP na magbenta ng gold reserves para mabawasan ang bahagi nito sa gross international reserves ng bansa.
Paalala ni Tolentino kay BSP Deputy Gov. Francisco Dakila na may ilang probisyon sa Republic Act No. 7653 o ang New Central Bank Act of 1993 na naglilimita sa pagbebenta ng gold reserves ng bansa maging sa panahon ng krisis.
“The BSP family should be aware of RA 7653 specifically Section 72 and I quote, emergency restrictions on exchange operations… they may temporarily suspend or restrict the sales of gold,” sabi nito.
Paliwanag naman ni Dakila na maliit lang na bahagi ng gold reseves ang balak nilang ipagbili at ito aniya ay naaayon naman sa Monetary Board.
Gayunpaman, giit ni Tolentino na may kasalukuyang national emergency at aniya, “ any action taken, the discretionary actions taken by the Treasury Department even it is pursuant to a Monetary Board resolution, should take into account the national emergency we are in right now.”