‘Pork,’ Malampaya, social fund, MOOE, DAP: They’re all crooked GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc (The Philippine Star) October 2, 2013 Three months into the exposé of the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam, it’s timely to review the swirl of issues. Seven points stand out: (1) The plunder of the congressional “pork” begins and ends with greedy lawmakers. Through chiefs of staff they sign away their “pork” — P200 million a year per senator, P70 million per congressman — to fixers. The fixers concoct fake beneficiary projects and NGOs. They also bribe the fund approvers, releasers, and receivers in the budget department, implementing agencies, and local government units. Loot sharing: 50 percent to the lawmaker, five to the chief of staff, 25 to the fixer, and 20 percent “for the boys.” (2) Janet Lim Napoles is from reports the biggest “pork” fixer, yet only one of many. Those others — some related to lawmakers — soon will be exposed too, as they try to divert inquiries from themselves to “competitors.” In the Commission on Audit special review of the 2007-2009 congressional “pork,” 12 sitting and past senators and 180 congressmen pocketed P6.2 billion via 82 bogus NGOs. Of that amount, eight Napoles NGOs fronted for P2.1 billion in bogus projects. Of her scams, P1.1 billion involved the “pork” of then-Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, and any administration’s stalwart Bong Revilla. (The three, with Napoles, five ex-congressmen, and 30 bureaucrats, have been charged with plunder and malversation.) (3) The rotten “pork” system is not only in the Legislature but in the Executive as well. The President has yearly discretionary cash of about P25 billion, to match the P27.5 billion of 24 senators and 292 congressmen. The presidential “pork” excludes Contingency Funds for emergency rescue and relief during calamities. It includes the President’s Social Fund for predictable programs that should thus be subject to line-item budgeting. (4) Lawmakers illegally enrich themselves by ways other than the pork barrel. Before the present exposé (the seventh since the “pork” was restored with the Congress in 1987) came one only last Dec. Laid bare was how senators were helping themselves to the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE). Enrile gave them, whether in the majority or minority, admin or opposition, P63 million each in additional MOOE that, by their own decree, was beyond audit. The secret “Christmas gift,” courtesy of the taxpayer, was revealed only because, for squabbling with him, Enrile withheld four senators’ second tranche. (5) Legislative and Executive leaders collude in the congressional and presidential “pork” system. The Development Budget Coordinating Council, consisting of Cabinet and Congress members, inserts it in the budget bill every year. Malacañang submits the bill for congressional enactment. Opinion ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 (6) More collusions are being unearthed. First, the Malampaya fund. Malacañang under Gloria Arroyo doled out P23.6 billion in state royalties from offshore gas wells to favorite lawmakers, governors, and mayors. Second, the Disbursement Acceleration Program. Malacañang under Noynoy Aquino gave 20 senators P30 million to P100 million each, and select congressmen P15 million, ostensibly for countryside projects. Estrada says they actually were bribed to impeach and convict Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012 (for multimillion-peso hidden wealth). Whatever, Malacañang is at a loss to explain why it coursed through lawmakers P1.107 billion in savings of Executive agencies. Third, in public works, agricultural programs, and special favors. Conflicted lawmakers double as road or airport constructors, take kickbacks from agriculture lending, and profit from Customs-approved smuggling. (7) The “pork” scam has radicalized the populace. Filipinos now rightly root all their woes — rice shortage, rising prices, joblessness, inadequate schools, police ineptitude, floods, rural neglect, urban traffic, Chinese incursions, etc. — to the systematic plunder of public projects. For them, the “pork” and similar discretionary funds must go — now! Executive and Legislative leaders are resisting the popular will for abolition, resorting to: • Lying. They feign ignorance of faked projects and NGOs. Despite public sightings and photos with Napoles and her ostentatious family, they disavow acquaintance with her. Some senators allege that their chiefs of staff dealt with fixers behind their backs. Others claim their signatures were forged. The “forgery” alibi is debunked by their repeated signings of official forms to which only senators have access and sway. Too, it defies human nature for them to not check on the status of multimillion-pesos for self-promotion projects. • Obfuscation. To avert further exposure, they engage in legalisms to stop Napoles’ testifying in the Senate inquiry. They profess nobility of “pork” spending for scholarships and medical treatments, omitting why such money pass through them at all instead of straight to state colleges and hospitals. One employs the “peanut butter defense” of spreading the guilt around. All conjure up supposed spending reforms to justify retaining “pork in a new form.” But the people see through the lies and muddling. Spreading in mainstream and social media are agitations to maul the “pork” plunderers like common pickpockets, and to block and scrape their 6, 7 or 8 plate-numbered cars. More and more protest rallies and noise barrages are being staged in major cities. Ignoring their cries would incite a social upheaval. There is no stopping the people against the crooked political class. They know that in crushing the “pork” would also crumble the political dynasties and election-cheating machineries. * *
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 21:50:16 +0000
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