‘Pork’ still working for lawmakers

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad: There has always been political patronage. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Budget Secretary Florencio Abad sees nothing wrong with lawmakers asking the executive agencies that received the realigned congressional pork barrel funds to help their constituents seeking medical assistance, scholarships and the like.

Abad said lawmakers can refer their constituents to the agencies as this was part of their job and their duties as representatives of the people.

As to concerns that this would only perpetuate the evils of political patronage, Abad said political patronage will continue to exist as long as poverty remains and people continue to ask for help from their representatives.

“There has always been political patronage. You know why? Because people will always go to their representatives. When they wake up in the morning, when they’re in Manila, people line up and ask for help. Can you eliminate that? That’s something you cannot eliminate. Until we are able to address rather substantially the problem of poverty, people will always find a way to go to their mayor, governor, congressman,” he told reporters at the House of Representatives.

The lump sum priority assistance development fund (PDAF) was excised from the 2014 budget because of public outrage over the alleged funneling of the pork barrel funds to private pockets. The PDAF was then realigned to six executive agencies—the Commission on Higher Education (P2.66 billion); Department of Education (P1.022 billion); Department of Health (P3.69 billion); Department of Social Welfare and Development (P4.71 billion); Department of Labor and Employment (P3.69 billion); and Department of Public Works and Highways (P9.654 billion).

The Supreme Court subsequently declared the PDAF and other forms of pork barrel unconstitutional for allowing legislators to wield non-oversight, post-enactment authority in areas of budget execution, a violation of the principle of the separation of powers.

Abad said the executive agencies would have the final say on how to use the realigned pork funds and would have to come up with guidelines on this as the funds are not part of their regular programs.