Pork and greed

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

What do Filipinos think of the pork barrel?

A national daily yesterday published a section that very clearly and decisively showed how the ordinary citizen of this country regards this unbelievably enormous sum of money that is given like a prize to the members of Congress, who do not have to be answerable for its disbursement.

For years now, right thinking Filipinos, especially those who pay their taxes regularly, shaving the amount off from their hard-earned money to the deprivation of their families, have resented this abominable practice of “rewarding” those men and women who are lucky enough to win election to the House of Representatives or to the Senate – some by hook, others by crook – with the unconscionable amount of P70 million for the former and P200 for the latter for every year of the term they have been elected to.

That means billions of pesos are taken from the taxes we pay, and the earnings of government from other sources, just to please the so-called solons, some of whom do not even bother to attend sessions regularly. And yet all of them believe themselves entitled to this anomaly called the PORK BARREL, which, over the years, they have disguised with other names, the latest, ironically, being the “Priority Development Assistance Fund.”

And these millions are in addition to their regular salaries, and to whatever other allocations the administration may allocate, depending on how cooperative they are to its wishes. And they can also use their PROK any way they want, some by giving a pittance here and there to some sick or needy constituents, with the maximum of publicity. Unlike other government functionaries, they are not required to account for such millions, or submit their disbursements to audit.

The PORK BARREL practice is one built-in anomaly that the people should agitate against. And one way of doing this is to pressure present presidential candidates to pledge that they will work for its abolition and, if possible, ensure that this is included if ever changes are made in Constitution.*