Ombuds to probe pork scam, academe wants more subsidy

CEBU, Philippines - “We are ready to investigate if a complaint will be filed before our office.”

This was the pronouncement of Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol on the issue of the alleged involvement of some Visayas congressmen in the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel.

Apostol said that the Visayas Ombudsman has in fact already investigated three pork barrel-related complaints, including that of former Cebu City south district representative Antonio Cuenco. The complaint was for the “irregular and questionable disbursements” Cuenco’s PDAF using falsified medical prescriptions allegedly signed by different doctors from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Cuenco, however, was exempted from the investigation, Apostol said, after he was cleared from the charges for lack of evidence based on an order approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.

Apostol also said that the Ombudsman can also investigate the non-government organizations (NGOs) that have allegedly been used by some lawmakers as channels for ghost projects. He said the office can look into the authenticity of the NGOs’ Securities and Exchange Commission registration, financial reports and even do an ocular inspection of the NGOs’ office.

Meanwhile, educators and academic employees here in Cebu convened yesterday to call for the abolition of the presidential and congressional pork barrel system, and to fight for greater state subsidy for education.

In a public forum at the University of the Philippines- Cebu, Atty. Rex Fernandez expressed his disgust over the pork barrel system stating that it has been the ‘mother of all corruptions’ and has been used as a ‘bribery to control the legislative body.’

“Pork is the source of money for the politicians in their never-ending search for money in order to gain power and more money,” Fernandez added citing the history of the Philippine politics.

UP Professor Phoebe Zoe Maria Sanchez is also calling for reforms in the financial structure of the government, and the participation of civil society in public policy governance.

“We are pushing for public-lead governance, and maybe it should start from the school,” she stated.

Sanchez was also saddened by the deductions to the budget allocated for the institution. She cited that there was a deduction of P1.3 billion in the year 2011, P1.31 billion in 2012, and P1.43 billion in the current year.

“Di tinuod nga wa nay kwarta, kay daghang kwarta ang giusikan. Nganong sigehan man og putol ang pondo,” Sanchez said.

Representing the students, UP Student Council Representative Angel Trocio also discussed the repercussions of the pork barrel scam and the threats of rationalizing of the state universities and colleges in the country. She further called for additional subsidy to the basic social services including the education sector rather than allocating greater funds to hard projects.

The public forum conducted yesterday was attended by representatives from Cebu Educators Forum (CEF), Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT-Cebu), All UP Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU-UP) and UP Cebu Student Council.

Following the abolition of the pork barrel fund for lawmakers, Governor Hilario Davide III foresees the piling up of requests for financial assistance at his office from the different barangays in the province.

Davide, an ally of President Benigno Aquino III, is hoping that the national government  would help him on projects for the Province of Cebu.

Aquino ordered the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund for lawmakers following a COA report on its alleged misuse.

Davide said that he is in favor of the retention of the PDAF of the congressman and senators provided that it should be “responsibly and judiciously” used.

He said that lawmakers should also be careful in giving funds to non-government organizations and that there should be guidelines to ensure that the funds would really reach the beneficiaries. — Mylen P. Manto, Annie Fe Perez, Gregg M. Rubio and Michael Vencynth Braga/QSB (FREEMAN)