Looking at the budget of the national government, one is tempted to prune the trillions of pesos that is proposed. What with the controversies rocking government expenditures, and the scandalous way that our resources have been squandered, there's a knee jerk reaction to the idea that more money is to be entrusted to public officials.
The President has a reported grand total of 434 million set aside for his "donations and subsidies," while the Vice President has 86 million for the grant of "financial assistance" and subsidies. That news makes me want to make a beeline for their offices and pretend to be a destitute prostitute wanting to turn over a new leaf for which I need, oh a mil or so.
Seriously though, why channel these funds through the highest officers of the land if these are their purposes? It's a reality, of course, that the poorest or the most unfortunate citizens line up at the offices of all the government officials they can access, in the hopes of being able to cadge some funds or help. I am sure the President and the Vice are not immune from these petitioners. But what is their role in doling out moolah?
These two are supposed to be tasked with the most serious affairs of governing, the most weighty affairs of state. There are national issues to be solved, macro problems to be addressed. And yet, despite the loftiness of their positions, why divert their focus into addressing each and every hand that is outstretched.
Oh, for sure there are staff members that screen the petitioners. Don't take me quite that literally. But wouldn't some time still need to be spent to monitoring the release of funds, and control measures exercised by the big men themselves?
There's also the potential for abuse. So our top two can just identify a recipient and fork money over depending on his discretion? Who counter-checks the legitimacy of these recipients?
The most serious issue I have, I would think, is that we do have government institutions and officers that are already tasked with addressing these needs. An emergency accident, and cash is needed for the hospital? Debtors forced out of their homes and now forced to rove the streets in need of shelter? Tuition fees for school need to be paid so that final exams can be taken?
All of these have corresponding agencies that can assess these needs and then follow the procedure for documented release of funds. Why don't we give the cash to them? The cry we always hear is that these agencies are cash-strapped. Well, now we know where some of the cash is going.
Aside from the drain on our dynamic duo's time and attention (not that I'm saying they function as smoothly as Batman and Robin), and the potential for abuse, the other problem is, the poor will now always have a debt of gratitude to these government officials who personally helped them in their time of need. So guess who they're going to vote in the next elections? Patronage politics, hurrah for you. You are very much alive in this budget.
Note that the President has an additional 67 million for trainings and scholarships. What's the role then of the Department of Education or the Department of Social Welfare? Duplicative? Redundant? Inutile? All of these possibilities come to mind.
I don't even want to get into the 64.4 million allotted for "representation" expenses of the President. The Bureau of Internal Revenue always scrutinizes this item. One hopes the Commission on Audit is just as devoted.