Akyat-bahay heist in a Baguio Hotel?

By Gerry Garcia

THE pork barrel in Congress, hidden gold-mine in this two-tiered legislative body that has and had been magnetic attraction   to even the clowns from Pinoy filmdom will now be “open” to the public. This was most recently revealed by House Speaker Joe de V when he launched his call   for a “moral revolution” in Congress to rid the house of undesirable practices.”

Joe was referring to the hefty share of P70 million each for his 240 fellow lawmakers and P200 million each for the 24 senators each year.
                                                                  

The Speaker vowed to make “transparent” the fund releases by opening them up for audit disbursements made by the House leadership… He proposed that all items in the countryside development funds be itemized in a line budget, publicized in full transparency and subjected to public bidding, using the electronic procurement law Congress just recently passed.

This, according to JDV, will effectively prevent congressmen from collecting kickbacks from projects in their districts.

Speaker Joe, who had been derisively eyed as a wily trapo, however, had given Mrs. Arroyo a passing assurance that “the House will do its own house cleaning”. A passing remark which has caused a lot of eyebrows to raise.

* * * *

A nephew of this writer, Dr. Eric de Leon and his wife Ma. Lourdes de Leon, also a dentist, have an uncomplimentary comment to make about their brief stay (2 days and 1 night) at Pines View Hotel in Baguio City. On the morning of their last day they woke up to a dismaying discovery.  Three sets of cell-phones were missing, including a wedding   ring, ATM and credit cards, peso-dollar collection amounting to more than P15,000 and  precious wristwatch.

Eric called up the manager hotel to complain and the HM promised to come. Eric and wife waited for him up to high noon in vain. They were finally informed the hotel manager had left for some place, possibly Manila.

Deeply disappointed, Eric and Ma. Loudes, including their two kids, finally left for home in Angeles City, Pampanga nursing grief and frustration over their experience at the City of Pines.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/here-and-there/  Readers may reach columnist at sundaypunch2@yahoo.com . For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments