What Cebu congressmen say

Rep. Gabriel Luis Quisumbing

Cebu, 6th district

Reelected to second term

‘These are not ghost projects’

We have several successful programs that have really helped unemployment and underemployment for several years. We have full documentation. We have pictures and the list of beneficiaries signed by each beneficiary, which we are willing to show to any interested party. Barangay and municipal officials will also confirm that our livelihood programs have been running.

These are definitely not ghost projects.

Everybody has seen the effect of our livelihood programs around the district (Mandaue city, Consolacion and Cordova towns.)

They were implemented by the Department of Agriculture through an NGO.

Note: Quisumbing said he did not know the NGO or the people running the project but believe it is not a bogus NGO. He said that as a congressman, he can only identify projects.

Based on the COA report from 2010 to 2012, P900,000 of Quisumbing’s PDAF went to the Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation Inc. and another P750,000 went to the Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation Inc. which were identified by COA as among the NGOs that cornered the bulk of national legislators pork barrels. /Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan

Former Rep. Eduardo Gullas

Cebu 1st district

‘I don’t know Janet Napoles’

I do not know Ginang Napoles. Neither have I met her.

The NGOs that I have encountered are not bogus.

The P9 million budget for seedlings went to the Infinite Community Integrated Support Foundation Inc. which is accredited by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). The Gabay at Pagasa ng Masa Foundation which received P225,000 for the seedlings project is also accredited by DAR.

They are not bogus and they have nothing to do with Napoles.

God knows everything. I have not done anything wrong.

Di ta magcongressman kung magbinuang man gani ta. (We would not be running for congress, if we wanted to do monkeybusiness.)

The PDAF is the greatest equalizer to spread development funds to all districts.

If the PDAF is abolished what happens to the 800 scholars sponsored by the fund? How would my grandson support them or spend for medicine for the poor? (Gerald Anthony Gullas, who was elected to take over his grandfather’s seat last May, is serving his first term.)

Ever since I became a congressman, the pork barrel has been changing names but had one purpose – to serve the people.

Although the function of senators and congressmen is to craft laws, they all need money to implement good projects. – From A report of Correspondent Christine Emily L. Pantaleon

(Note:The COA reported that P14.5 million Gullas’ PDAF went to the Infinite Community Integrated Development Support Foundation and P14.5 million to the Kabuhayan at Kalusugan Alay sa Masa Foundation)

Former Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI

Cebu province, 5th district (2005-2013)

‘Our PDAF projects were successfully implemented in the district.’

First of all, we are confirming that the funding was released through the Philippine Forest Corporation (PFC, a subsidiary agency of DENR) to implement our district’s flood control, biodiesel production and disaster mitigation programs, which are national advocacies.

PFC is included in the PDAF Menu as one of the implementing agencies of the program.

The NGOs endorsed to our office have accreditations with PFC.

Second, with regards to the project, it was successfully implemented in our district.

The release of the budget came in two tranches. The funding will not be released without the supervision and evaluation from PFC.

We organized seminars and trainings participated by our farmers associations, point-persons and officials of LGUs in the district, distribution of training kits, site inspection, distribution of seedlings and planting of the seedlings. To ensure that our program was well carried out, we conducted meetings and asked for the progress from LGUs on its implementation.

For every implementation of project or program, we have validators composed of different agencies like the Commission on Audit (COA) and from PFC to make sure that the project was realized.

Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa, Cebu city south district

First-time congressman, elected May 2013

‘Give fair share to Cebuanos’

I am against the abolition of PDAF only for the reason that it will take away from our poor and marginalized Cebu City constituents at least P140 million yearly of national government funds for their hospitalization, medical, health, emergency and other urgent basic services.

Where will they go now?

I won’t mind at all if PDAF is not coursed through the district representative as long as our constitutents’ fair share of the national funds is not taken away.

In the ongoing budget hearing in Congress, I am consistently vocal against the lesser share of Visayas or Region 7 in the national budget. Had it not been abused and abolished, the PDAF would have been an effective automatic mechanism to equitably distribute the national resources to all the districts in the country.

All those involved in the PDAF scams must be punished and imprisoned. But let us spare those thousands of our poor and marginalized citizen.

Rep. Raul del Mar, Cebu city north district

Served six terms. Reelected last May.

‘How can we secure projects for our district?’

The people have spoken. They want the pork barrel of congressmen and legislators abolished. They don’t want any alternative to pork that would just amount to pork in some other form.

So the question should be how can congressmen and senators secure projects for our district constituents?

This can be done if the role of the congressmen or senator is limited to merely proposing the project and its approval through the regular budget process and once approved is included in the budget of the appropriate department as a line-item specific project with its fund allocation in the General Appropriations Act.

After approval of the GAA by Congress, the project will be implemented solely by the Executive Department without the involvement of the senator or congressman proposing it.

We will, however, make further studies to come up with a better system with the safeguards for a graft-free mechanism acceptable to the people.

Personally Ill be happy if I can have my allocation included in the budget of DSWD under its Comprehensive and Integtated Delivery of Social Services which includes medical assistance, burial assistance, assistance to victims of fire, typhoon and other natural calamities and other crisis situations suffered by constituents of the first district of Cebu City.