Good news/bad news

The good news is that P-Noy suspended the release of the pork barrel funds until the probe on the scams surrounding them is completed. The bad news is that he remains firm in his position against doing away with them completely even if he already knows, like almost everyone else, that they are undoubtedly one of the biggest sources of corruption in the government. With this kind of duplicitous stand, his reputation and image as an honest president have been further damaged as to be almost beyond repair.

In refusing to totally junk this fraudulent scheme, he even blames the officials involved and not just the system itself, likening them to fools behind the wheel of a car who “will run over people.” Obviously there is really something flawed in this kind of reasoning. If he already knows that there are really fools behind the wheels of the government who may likely run over people, then he should, as he could, take the car away from them. This is plain common sense. Without any “car,” as in without any pork barrel, these “fools” will sooner or later be discouraged from joining the government.

Actually, some “fools” in the government now were not really fools at the start. But because of this pork barrel system, they eventually became “fools” because as it is now being gradually uncovered, the system is really susceptible to misuse and abuse for the perpetration of various scams and fraudulent transactions. It can be said therefore that government officials especially in the Legislative and Executive Departments will not be corrupted if there is no such system in place. The blame should be more on the system and less on the officials. Remove the source of corruption and corrupt officials will certainly disappear. 

As has been repeatedly pointed out, removing this pork barrel will also result in the improvement of public service because it will deter aspirants for public office with a moist eye to this kind of fat from further running for these positions. Thus only those with genuine desire to serve our people who regard public service as a public trust will be interested to join the government and eventually win in the elections. Political dynasties will also cease to exist. For a president who touts himself as the foremost nemesis of graft and corruption in government, it is quite appalling that P-Noy has not or refuse to see these realities.

More dismaying is P-Noy’s reaction when confronted with the growing clamor for change by scrapping the pork barrel. His only answer here is to ask another question as he blurted out: “Change to what”? Obviously he is dead set in retaining the pork barrel and will not succumb to the clamor to the extent of feigning ignorance on what to do with the funds if the pork barrel system is abolished.

With all the problems besetting our country it is really hard to believe that our president would not know where the pork barrel funds could be put to better use. People are really quite exasperated in this kind of attitude on the part of P-Noy. In fact when he gave that kind of reply we are in the midst of the typhoon season when destructive floods wreak havoc in almost all parts of the country.  Up to now Metro Manila and most parts of Luzon are underwater and business is almost at a standstill causing considerable damage to the country. After every typhoon for the past three years, photos appear in newspaper and TV showing him going around distributing relief goods. So he must already know by now that our country is in dire need of a flood control project that will solve this perennial flood problem. Thus he could and should have converted the pork barrel funds to finance this project instead of allocating them to our Congressmen and Senators who actually do not need them in the effective performance of their functions as legislators.

To be sure as early as 2009, there was already a flood control plan costing about P18.7 billion with a P7 billion grant from BNP Paribas Bank that would have solved or considerably eased flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, particularly Rizal, Laguna and Cavite. This is a project for the rehabilitation of Laguna Lake by dredging 4.6 million cubic meters of silt and waste that will improve the lake’s capacity as a catch basin for flood waters in the surrounding towns and cities to be undertaken by a Belgian dredging company. As pointed out by then Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme, the project will not only alleviate flooding but also improve local transport structure with a superhighway along the lakeshore thereby transforming it into a modern area with fish ports, ferry terminals and marina complexes.

But, as reported by Rigoberto Tiglao in his article last August 15, 2012, P-Noy rebuffed the Belgian Prime Minister and axed the project in November 2010 on mere suspicion that it was riddled with corruption simply because it was hatched during the previous administration. Up to now however, no evidence has been produced to prove said suspicion. In the meantime, the Philippine government has already incurred expenses of P420 million as penalty for cancellation of the bank loan and another P500 million for legal fees. It may even be required to pay P4 billion to the Belgian company which filed a suit because of the cancellation of the project.

So the current talks going around is that were it not for P-Noy we would have less flooding now because said project would have been completed by this time if it was not axed. And with P-Noy’s firm stand against junking the pork barrel, chances of having funds for a flood control project remain slim. In fact, these pork barrel funds can also be used for other infrastructure projects like improving our rail transportation and modernizing our airports to attract more tourists not to mention the construction of more classrooms. The bad news however is that P-Noy will not abolish this pork barrel.

So let us all join the protest rally for the abolition of the pork barrel of P-Noy and members of Congress, at the Luneta and at other places all over the country on August 26, 2013.

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