Split personality

The survivors of the recent calamities happening in our shores really taught peoples all over the world “how to live”. In the midst of the heart rending tragedies and untold miseries, they were still able to show the Global community, our most admirable traits as Filipinos, described by CNN as “unbelievably resilient, long suffering, good natured, overly friendly, loyal, ingenious, and a bunch of survivors”.  Indeed even in their misery and grief, traces of that heartening smile can still be detected in their faces. Our countrymen in those disaster stricken areas really give us enough reasons to be proud of being Filipinos.

Unfortunately, some of our unpleasant traits also surfaced during and after those tragic events. And more unfortunate is that these unwholesome images mainly come from some of our public officials and political leaders to whom we entrusted the reins of government and the tasked of rendering public service especially during such emergencies.

Immediately after this much publicized “strongest typhoon in history” made a landfall in Central Visayas, some of our officials penchant for blame-passing already surfaced especially when caught unprepared in their duty of rendering immediate aid and assistance urgently necessary to minimize loss of lives and destruction of properties.

Also surfacing is the distasteful practice of credit-grabbing in the distribution of relief goods as shown by DSWD’s repacking with its own package, the already packed donations of foreign countries. No explanation can effectively hide the sinister motive behind this move. But more deplorable is the practice of some politicians eyeing higher positions in the next election, of distributing relief goods with their names prominently appearing on the package. It is really so appalling to see them taking advantage of a tragedy to promote their candidacy this early by engaging in what is now known as “epal” politics.

Even more disgusting are the reactions and moves of our political leaders in the aftermath of the recent ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) declaring as unconstitutional, the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), more notoriously known as the “Congressional Pork Barrel”. They are resorting once more to the current practice of making “palusot” by giving other meanings to the decision so that they will still be able to use some “pork”.

The SC decision however categorically declares that the pork barrel system violates the principle of separation of powers enshrined in our constitution. PNoy himself has demonstrated such violation by his previous moves using this pork to intervene in the Congressional function of enacting laws like the RH law, and in the exercise of its power of impeachment like in the case of former Ombudsman Gutierrez and ex SC Chief Justice Corona.

The pork barrel has also been the main source of corruption in the government as already shown by the P10 billion-scam exposed several months ago. Furthermore, it also provides our politicians with the means to exercise patronage politics that undermine our electoral process and the proper exercise of the right of suffrage. Of course the pork barrel has likewise been one of the causes of the proliferation of political dynasties in the country. In other words this pork barrel system has thrown into disorder the workings of a true democratic government set-up in our Constitution that ensures a government of laws and not of men.

The spirit of the ruling therefore is to restore, what noted constitutionalist Father Joaquin Bernas, S,J, calls the “constitutional order”. The SC in their decision just wants to preserve the separation of powers and the independence of the three main branches of our government from each other particularly between the Legislative and the Executive Branches in this case. Under the ruling, all public funds in the Public Treasury can be taken out and disbursed only pursuant to a general law like General Appropriations Act (GAA) or a special law enacted for such purposes and in such manner therein specified.

The decision actually sets a precedent for declaring the “Development Assistance Program” (DAP) also unconstitutional. Hence expect such a decision from the SC. It cannot simply reverse itself and completely somersault right away after its recent ruling on the PDAF. Reversing itself on the DAP will just confirm the on-going talks in the cocktail circuit and reports circulating in the internet that PNoy is doing everything to convince the SC justices to uphold the constitutionality of the DAP. Hopefully, this report is not true. And even if true, we also hope that our Justices will still hear the voice of their conscience as they did when they ruled on the unconstitutionality of the PDAF.

The Congressional leaders’ reaction to such ruling proposing a supplemental budget for the relief and rehabilitation of the disaster stricken areas also looks like some kind of a palusot. People are wary that it may also be “pork” in disguise. Instead of a supplemental budget, Congress can just pass a special law creating a Rehabilitation Commission similar to the Mt Pinatubo disaster.

People should really remain vigilant on some moves to make “palusot” during these emergency situations. In fact, there are reports that certain international agencies and organizations are also using the recent crises in our country to actually implement provisions of the RH law even if the SC has issued a TRO against its implementation.

It has been reported that the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the acknowledged promoter of abortion worldwide, has made available in local clinics during these emergency situations, RH kits containing essential drugs, equipments and supplies to implement the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for sexual and reproductive health services (SRH) including abortion and post abortion care. Included in this kit are emergency contraceptives that cause abortion and equipment for treatment of post abortion complications called Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MAV).

It has also been reported that the United Nations Fund for Population Administration (UNFPA), the IPPF and an organization dedicated to promoting and assisting in the procurement of abortion known as the International Project Assistance Services (IPAS) are working with the DOH and the NDRRMC to integrate RH services in the national and local preparedness and response plan.

All these moves should be checked. Otherwise we may really become a government of men, not of laws.

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