How pork barrel works - for pols

A relatively small allegation of graft is bugging a sleepy Iloilo town. But it could well expose to the whole nation how congressional pork works. Despite the P22.3-billion yearly pork releases, no progress ensues. Bulk of the money never reach the intended beneficiaries or projects, but end up in private pockets.

From news clips, here’s how the story goes:

Pavia municipal mayor Arcadio Gorriceta reportedly received five-percent commission of P250,000 from his congressman in 2004. All he did was to allow then-Rep. Augusto Syjuco to use his municipality as conduit of a P5-million pork release.

Syjuco’s second term was about to end in June that year, but he had some pork left for “educational projects” in his congressional district. Gorriceta admitted that the legislator convinced him to be the channel of the cash to the Tagipusuon Foundation. “In the course of our conversation Syjuco mentioned that I would get five percent of the fund,” the mayor was quoted in press interviews.

Per Syjuco’s instructions, Gorriceta signed a memo of agreement with the foundation. The MOA stipulated that the Pavia municipal hall would disburse the P5 million based on actual delivery of school uniforms and bags.

When the full amount was disbursed to the foundation, Gorriceta said Syjuco’s aide, Timoteo Salvilla, delivered a personal check on Dec. 8, 2004. The amount stated P250,000; the payee was blank. “Salvilla told me that the check represented the five-percent commitment made by his boss previously,” reports quoted Gorriceta.

Gorriceta accepted the check but turned it over to the municipal treasurer for deposit in the municipal account. A receipt was issued to Tagipusuon Foundation for “financial assistance.”

Provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada, Syjuco and Gorriceta’s political foe, is raising hell. In blogcasts he accuses the former of giving a bribe and the latter of accepting it. “The name on the check was left blank, and the check was expressly intended as a bribe,” he says. The admission of “commission” for a pork barrel project supposedly revealed the illicit intention.

Such “fees” allegedly are standard operating procedure in pork releases. The budget department releases the pork via a SARO (special allotment release order). The SARO recipient taps a launderer to disburse the cash, usually to a front NGO. The NGO plows the money back to the recipient, who in turn gives the launderer a cut.

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Last Monday I reported a “fake geodetic survey” at the National Irrigation Administration for the Catubig project in Northern Samar. As a result of the mess, the agency came up with flawed designs for three dams and irrigation-drainage canals. Billions of pesos would be lost.

NIA administrator Carlos Salazar wrote a long reaction, the salient points of which are:

“NIA did not directly hire a surveyor. The survey was part of the deal with Sanyu Consultants for all components of the project, approved by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. It cost P9.05 million, not P34 million.

“The survey is not to be considered as final. Surveys are the bases of design engineers for alignment of irrigation-drainage canals. Changes are expected in alignment after the actual survey to be made jointly by NIA and the contractor (Hanjin), as provided in the contract.

“Admittedly NIA failed to immediately give Hanjin some good-for-construction drawings, due to design changes arising from the joint survey. This is especially true with the Catubig right and left main canals. But NIA gave other GFCs as early as Mar. 2007 until Aug. 2007, from which Hanjin should have started work on these portions of the contract. Despite the availability of the GFCs, it did nothing.

“Hanjin’s accomplishment to date is very insignificant. NIA proposed to take over some portions of the contract. This is again allowed by the contract, in case of delays.

“The contract will expire Aug. 25, 2010. Time elapsed as of Mar. 31, 2009 is 60 percent, but accomplishment is only 13.85 percent versus target of 20 percent. As of June 2009, Hanjin’s slippage was already –18 percent.

“NIA is convinced that it is very remote for Hanjin to complete the work by Aug. 2010. Thus, the takeover of some portions of the project.”

There’s something Salazar failed to explain, though. What parts of the project will the NIA take over from Hanjin, and how much will the agency deduct from the total project cost. My sources say the NIA will take over the construction of two of three planned dams, but will let Hanjin keep the P1-billion contract amount in full.

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“Hold on to God; His rope is longer than your needs.” Shafts of Light, Fr. Guido Arguelles, SJ.

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E-mail: [email protected]