4 allies of GMA remain 'pork-less'

MANILA, Philippines - Four allies of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo remain “pork-less.”

Four months into 2012, Arroyo’s two sons – Juan Miguel of the party-list group Ang Galing Pinoy and Diosdado of Camarines Sur – and Mitos Magsaysay of Zambales and Augusto Syjuco Jr. of Iloilo have yet to receive even a portion of their P70-million pork barrel allocation for last year.

Malacañang officials have said the allocations of the four lawmakers have been released to city and town officials in their districts.

In the case of Arroyo herself, Malacañang has released P30.8 million of her 2011 Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocation. PDAF is the official name of the congressional pork barrel.

Of her P30.8 million, the former president allocated only P20 million to her district and shared the P10.8 million with son Diosdado, Magsaysay and five other allies.

The five are Danilo Suarez of Quezon, who heads the minority bloc to which Arroyo belongs, Martin Romualdez of Leyte, Marc Douglas Cagas of Davao del Sur, Amelita Villarosa of Mindoro Occidental, and Arthur Yap of Bohol. Magsaysay, Diosdado Arroyo and their five other colleagues each received between P1.3 million and P1.7 million from Arroyo.

However, unlike the four “pork-less” minority members, Suarez, Cagas, Romualdez, Villarosa, and Yap have received their full P70-million allocation, plus the augmentation from the former president.

Yap and Syjuco both served in the Arroyo Cabinet. Yap was agriculture secretary while Syjuco was director-general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority with the rank of secretary.

According to Magsaysay, “life goes on without pork.” She said Malacañang’s decision to withhold her PDAF allocation drives her to work harder in getting help for her constituents from other sources.

In the case of Syjuco, he has addressed an impassioned appeal for the release of his funds to President Aquino.

In an open letter to the President, Syjuco said in fairness to his constituents, Aquino should order the release of his annual allocation. He said the PDAF is called an “equalization fund” because each district, regardless of the political affiliation of its representative, is supposed to be assured of at least P70 million.

For 2011, Syjuco said all those given PDAF under the national budget, including Vice President Jejomar Binay and senators, have already received their funds.

“In fairness, since this had long ago been released to the Vice President, 24 senators (except one who did not need it) and 279 out of 284 congressmen, or a total of more than 98 percent of all of us elected national officials, it should also be released to the only remaining five of us,” he added. The five included the late Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo.

“I can still well understand the ‘human aspect’ of wanting to deprive those who are not supportive of you, but as I have said time and again, I am supportive of Your Excellency,” Syjuco told the President in his letter.

He said he does not believe that Aquino would want to decimate the political opposition and have all national and local officials as allies.

“I am sure that you would find that having no opposition left to be anathema in our fledgling democracy. Also, I believe Your Excellency would not countenance the furtherance of your allies who may be overly rapacious against democracy,” Syjuco said.

He started his letter by saying he wished Aquino well. He informed the President that the funds that Malacañang spokesmen claimed to have been released to his district are appropriations allocated to his constituency under the national budget.

“Your Excellency and I have had no past relationship whatsoever, neither good nor bad. However, a few local politicians in Iloilo with self-serving local political strife who want me replaced, misrepresented me to be Your Excellency’s vile enemy,” Syjuco said.

“Time and again, I have said to everyone, even in my numerous letters to Your Excellency, that I would not stand in the way of your programs, and that it would be a great disservice to our country and our 90 million Filipinos to stand in your way to build the upgraded society that you envision for us,” he said.