The pork barrel and the Parliament

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

ANOTHER Holy Week came and went.

      Those who religiously visited their respective parish churches and others, surely had another opportunity to watch the mega-hypocrites among our politicians doing their bit of “atonement” …for not having stolen more from the government coffers and for failing to exploit our people’s poverty to the hilt.

      And from the looks of it, our quintessential ‘trapos’ have resolved to “reform” and outdo themselves next year by trooping to the churches with newer and spankier SUVs.  Expect them to become more arrogant and contemptuous of our people. Didn’t their glorious patron even now tell us that she was sent to us by God?

      Wait for the day when they say they have to do their worst so we can be saved.

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      The congressmen’s pork barrel syndicate

      In the late-80s, when pork barrel was still hardly the sole and only incentive for congressmen to seek reelection, I personally thought there was nothing wrong with the pork barrel being dispensed by our congressmen for their constituents.

      In fact, I even naively thought that the 10% ‘S.O.P.” that the congressmen were “rumored” to be freely getting from contractors was reasonable. After all, businessmen legitimately paid those commissions to whoever gave them business. The best part was, roads were being built fairly well, bridges linking communities, teens had basketball courts to play in, etc.

      How foolishly wrong I was to even think it was a good idea. Little did I know that what I thought was a practical policy would actually end up as the source of widespread corruption today.

      To add to my sense guilt, I do recall that my column in the Manila Times then stating my defense of the pork barrel was read and entered in to the House’s records.

      My sincerest apologies to the nation.

***

      Today, it is not unusual to see concreted, perfectly undamaged roads being dug up in many provinces just so some congressmen can avail of their pork barrel that offers a hefty 30% kickback and plenty more for the members of the pork barrel syndicate.

      The most recent one I’ve seen being dug up is the highway road in Bayambang leading to Camiling town in Tarlac. One can catch the DPWH contractor doing a good job at making a mess of the once-efficient roads.

      As if the millions evidently wasted on the road project were not enough, motorists and commuters now have to suffer the inconvenience of zigzagging through the road repairs.

      I’m sure the people of Bayambang would like to hear their Cong. Generoso Tulagan, Mayor Leocadio de Vera, and the DPWH District Engineer explain why they had to destroy these cemented roads just to build another.

      But will they bother explaining anything? Don’t count on it.

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Courtesy of Filipino Taxpayers

      But if there is one worthwhile project that is charged to a congressman’s pork barrel, it is Speaker Joe de Venecia’s distribution of PhilHealth cards to indigent families.

      In such an undertaking, there could possibly be little or no opportunity for a kickback and yet impoverished families who need them most benefit from a pork barrel as originally intended.

      Pangasinenses would be he happiest and healthiest lot in the country if the rest of the Pangasinan congressmen would serve their pork barrel through the PhilHealth cards. 

      My only problem with JDV’s project, as with all pork barrel projects, is these cards are being distributed in the name of the Speaker when these are paid out with the people’s taxes.

      Why can’t these freebies and projects ever be described as “Courtesy of the Filipino Taxpayers?”

***

      The news about the vice mayor of Mangaldan, Berex Abalos, getting into a sorry mess for the way he tried to use his own pork barrel (a.k.a, barangay development fund) is a microcosm of the realities of the pork barrel.

      He had a P40,000 check prepared to cover a school fence renovation project that by the school principal’s estimate was overpriced by 100% !

      But what got the goat of the school officials and original donors of the fence was the attempt of the vice mayor to claim full credit for the renovation when in fact, as the school officials insist, he only brought a few hollow blocks for the project.

      But the vice mayor had a reasonable defense and explanation. He said what he had done can’t be wrong because he only did what President Arroyo, Speaker De Venecia and all other elected officials do when they spend their pork barrel for projects.

      Oo nga naman…why single him out! Besides, the poor guy only spent P40,000 and not P70 million of taxpayers money like the congressmen do.  

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                  A bigger pork barrel in a parliament

      But with the same politicos ramming the proposed shift from the presidential form of government to a parliamentary government down the people’s throat, one can expect their pork barrel funds finally getting the lion’s share in every annual national budget.

      Today, the congressmen granted President Arroyo an unprecedented allocation for the biggest ever pork barrel ever granted a president. It’s even bigger than the budgets of all the major departments combined! 

      But it didn’t come without a price. That monstrous pork barrel for her meant bloating the budget with another P4 billion to cover the congressmen’s additional share!

      So imagine what’s its going to be like when the congressmen change their titles to members of parliament, and only they can elect or remove the prime minister and the president! They will practically own everything that the taxpayer has to pay every year. 

      So, let’s count our blessings that we still have not been bamboozled yet to make that shift. We still have a chance to get real reforms done by changing our political leaders before all is lost. 

      Anyone else for the shift to parliament? Or should I say – anyone else for pork barrel?

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