Billions in pork go to corrupt officials — Lacson

More than half of the billions in pork barrel funds that Congress appropriates each year goes to the pockets of corrupt lawmakers and other officials, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said yesterday.

In a privileged speech entitled "Living Without ‘Pork’," Lacson said "less than half of taxpayers’ money" goes to projects funded out of the congressional pork barrel.

He said 20 percent usually goes to the senator or congressman who identifies the project, 10 percent to the district engineer and other public works officials, five to 10 percent to the governor or mayor, 14 percent to the contractor, two percent to the barangay captain, and two percent to the Commission on Audit.

"It should not matter anymore under what name the system sounds. Be it the Countrywide Development Fund, or the Congressional Initiative Allocation, or the Priority Development Assistance Fund. It is and will remain to be a fund of compulsive corruption," he said.

Lacson, who has given up his patronage funds this year, urged his colleagues to scrap the pork barrel system, which allocates at least P200 million a year per senator and P65 million per House member.

"There is no better time to declare its end than now – when the country’s budget deficit is at an alarming uncontrollable pace. For the past year, it was P213 billion," he said.

He pointed out that if all lawmakers give up their "pork" funds, this year’s projected deficit would be lower by at least P19 billion.

He admitted that by advocating the scrapping of the pork barrel, he would lose friends and create more enemies among his colleagues in Congress.

But he acknowledged that he has an ally in Sen. Joker Arroyo, who has not touched his funds.

"It is time to bring the pork barrel system down, or we all go down under. We can surely live without ‘pork’. Certainly, there is life without it," he said.

None of his colleagues took up his challenge for them to part with their "pork." None of them even bothered to question him about what he said. Shortly after his speech, the Senate adjourned its session. – Jess Diaz