Stay off the fat

To Senate President Franklin Drilon, ending the pork barrel system would be tantamount to rendering Congress inutile.

His statement to the Philippine Daily Inquirer which went viral Tuesday only showed his deep anxiety and grudging cooperation with President Benigno Aquino III who announced he would overhaul the practice of giving lawmakers money to fund projects.

“What will happen if we will not take a direct hand (in the identification of projects)? Let’s just abolish Congress then,” Drilon said.

Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa of Cebu City’s south district shares Drilon’s sentiment. Ditto with former congressman Eduardo Gullas of Cebu’s 1st district.

Abellanosa said abolishing the pork barrel “will take away from our poor and marginalized Cebu City constituents at least P140 million yearly of national government funds.”

According to Gullas, “Although the function of congressmen is to craft laws, they all need money to implement good projects.”

The Commission on Audit found that Gullas and former Cebu congressmen Gabriel Luis Quisumbing (6th district) and Ramon Durano VI (5th district) all gave part of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of varying amounts to dubious non-government organizations.

The solons said they were unfamiliar with the NGO sthat acted as conduits, emphasizing that these were “accredited” by a government agency. Sorry, the excuse doesn’t wash. This admission alone makes them poor stewards of public money. They are incapable of illustrating the flow of pork.

They conveniently pass the buck on accounting for their PDAF to agencies in the executive branch like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Agrarian Reform.

Senate President Drilon, Congressman Abellanosa and the like-minded should take note.

Pork barrel spending is about patronage politics, not service. This is not the essential role of legislators.

Crafting laws, performing as check and balance of the executive branch, keeping the big picture of development of their districts and the country in mind should occupy the time of congressmen and senators.

If this is their mission, wouldn’t they in effect unburden themselves of administrativa by letting go of the pork barrel?

Pork-less legislators wouldn’t have to keep tabs on individal beneficiaries, school buildings, barangay roads, livelihood and feeding projects and accounting forms. That’s the stuff of mayors and local government officials.

Pork-less lawmakers won’t have to waste their time rushing from one event to another to be photographed cutting ribbons at inaugurations.

They would have also have less opportunity to be tempted by contractors and bogus foundations who know where to find the fat of political greed.

Chuck your “close to boss, more in pork” culture, your honors.

Return to the path from which you have strayed—of providing more in law for those who have less in life.