“Solons have power over the nation's purse”

Former activist and now Budget Secretary Florencio Abad made this statement when asked why the Aquino government is retaining P24.790 billion of pork barrel for senators and representatives in this year's budget.

Like last year, each of the 24 senator will receive P200 million while each House Representative will receive P70 million. That is close to P25B pesos that those in Congress will legislate and approve for themselves “for their districts”, “for their constituents.”

The pork barrel should officially be used as Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). If all the pork barrel that Congress had approved through the years been truly used for development assistance in their districts, in their areas of responsibility, by now, one would not be seeing continuing poverty, hunger, unemployment, homelessness, and more faces of unattended constituents and areas.

Budget Secretary, having been a former activist, knows this. He has seen the face of poverty before and for sure, continues to see it as they travel throughout this country. Having been a former activist, together with his wife known in the civil society circle, Abad also knows how the pork barrel has been used or misused or abused by politicians.

Why then does he not do anything more proactive about returning the pork barrel allocation back to the needy Filipinos?

Of course the districts need assistance funds. Of course, the poor in every district most especially need the much-needed public funds returned to them in the form of services. Have those in Congress truly used their pork barrel for their people, for their constituents, for their districts?

Why cannot Abad and the PNoy government conceive of more creative and pro-active ways to channel the funds to the genuine beneficiaries rather than retaining and continuing the tried and proven useless path via the legislators' pork barrel?

Surely, the executive branch has some leverage about the release and decision related to the pork barrel? Our people have witnessed how those in Malacañang, under various administrations, has shown their power over the legislators on the question of pork.

PNoy can, for example, insist that the pork barrel be used only for priority projects per year, for example, sustainable food production, supply, and distribution especially to the poor in every district. The health and education needs of those in the district also have to be prioritized. Malacañang may wish to insist on the construction of reliable and clean water supply and distribution and other sanitation-related project per district.

The pork barrel can only be released for these purposes, nothing more. No donation for basketball courts, for roads and bridges and other infrastructure projects that can well be done by other agencies of government (but which also badly need to be thoroughly cleansed of corruption and abuse as well!)

Certainly, PNoy and his vision of a matuwid na daan sees pork barrel as a crucial obstacle to attaining that matuwid na daan?

If the PDAF is properly and effectively channeled to reach the beneficiaries during his term that will be one legacy he can leave behind to our people, especially the needy.

Who matters most for Abad and the PNoy team? The politicians or the people?

Our Filipino people entrusted their votes to PNoy with the hope that he will prioritize their needs, over and above the calls of politics or his political party. Why then cannot they allow the PDAF to be more effectively distributed through more honest and transparent channels?

While we ask these questions of transparency and accountability for the pork barrel, let us also ask ourselves, our readers as well, who they think should have power over the nation's purse? Must we allow Congress to have power over the pork barrel for their use?

How can we invoke our right as the rightful owners and beneficiaries of public funds and demand that Congress be stopped from allocating funds for themselves?

How can we make budget planning, budget allocation, distribution and monitoring more participatory, more effective in terms of transparency and accountability?

Please, please find time to organize and to suggest and to activate a participative and inclusive system of public fund utilization and accountability.

The nation's purse belongs to all Filipino people, not to Congress nor to Malacañang. It is time to retrieve that right and privilege and to channel public funds responsibly and honestly back to our people.

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