Legislators: Are they public servants or businessmen?
IREMEMBER my father telling me about men in government like Abad Santos, Lacson, Paterno, Agoncillo, Recto and many others who were genuine Filipino nationalists, truly honorable and worthy of emulation. Their love of country was unassailable.
But today, Philippine politics is dominated by politicians who have turned it into a business interest. To these politicians, magnitude of corruption in government, made possible through various aberrations like the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), has become the centerpiece of the ambitions of many politicians to become congressmen and senators.
Each congressman has a PDAF allocation of P70 million per year. That’s P210 million in a three-year term. At the average, “SOP” 35-percent commission rate, this means P24.5 million goes straight into the pockets of each congressman every year or P73.5million in a three-year term. Aside from these are the added freebies or what they now call “incentives” to the tune of P200 million, which is given especially if you belong to the ruling party.
Indeed, there is no other business venture on earth whose returns are as immediate as Philippines politics today, where a congressman can easily make over P100 million within a three-year term. What a great business venture; here you earn without putting up a capital. This one is even better than gambling; here you win without placing a bet.
So how much more do the senators, who have a much bigger PDAF allocation of P200 million per year each, net? For a six-year term that’s P1.2 billion. Sweeter still are the additional incentives to the tune of almost P500 million each. In six years that’s P3 billion for every senator—another tool of patronage worth billions of pesos that the executive uses effectively. All in all, a senator could get a total P4.2 billion during his six-year term. Following the 35-percent “SOP,” that means a cool P1.47 billion in “commissions.”
No wonder these politicians cling to power. No wonder, many politicians choose the crooked path.
Where else is the PDAF abused? In the “implementing” agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Office of the President through the Department of Budget and Management. The nondisclosure by Budget Secretary Florencio Abad of the PDAF disbursements from 2010 to 2013 puts P-Noy’s program of clean government under a heavy cloud of serious doubt. So did Senate President Franklin Drilon’s refusal to issue a subpoena directing Janet Lim-Napoles, a friend of his, to appear before the Senate blue ribbon committee investigating the pork barrel scam she allegedly masterminded. How can we make a comparative analysis of the PDAF expenditures in 2007-2009 under the Arroyo administration and the PDAF expenditures from 2010 to 2013 under the Aquino administration?
All these factors explain why President Aquino’s straight path is covered with darkness. The level of doubt and distrust in government has risen in the past two months because it has shown itself in deep connivance, not only with elected officials, but also with government bureaucrats who, together with the executive branch through the DBM, have perfected the system of stealing the people’s hard-earned tax payments.
The people’s judgment on those implicated in the scam: They should resign now if they still have their conscience and sense of shame!
To all Filipinos: Let’s stand fast and show crooked politicians that we will not yield to politicians who deserve to be booted out of their present government positions.
Mabuhay ang bansang Pilipinas!