Circumspect

With all the allegations about pork barrel misuse, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s comment about the fashion parade at last Monday’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) is worth pondering.

The senator was correct in saying that the country’s legislators need not display themselves wearing all sorts of designer duds while the majority of their constituents continue to struggle to make both ends meet.

It doesn’t matter if the money spent for their clothes came out of their own pockets.

The garish display of finery may be ogled by the self-proclaimed fashion police and the social media watchers but it doesn’t sit well with the average Juan dela Cruz and Maria Clara of the street, who’d rather watch daily soap opera episodes than hear their local officials rant on about their political enemies.

Right before the Sona, we were treated to news stories about how some senators and congressmen funneled funds from their pork barrel to fictitious projects that benefited little, if any of their intended beneficiaries.

The latest to join this list of suspected dishonorable lawmakers is former movie star, now Sen.Lito Lapid. So far, no Cebuano lawmaker was reported to have been entangled in pork barrel misuse.

But there can be little or no doubt that among the chief reasons they ran for the post in the first place is to use the pork barrel funds for their pet programs. We thus recall former congressman Tomas Osmeña’s reply when asked about the difference between a congressional candidate he was supporting and his rival.

“The people don’t care what laws you pass or what treaty you entered into with a foreign government. They only care about what programs or projects you deliver to them,” he said.

Going by Osmeña’s blunt assessment, we are reminded anew that the congressman/senator we elect into office is but a mere extension of the executive department insofar as dispensation of public funds is concerned.

The reason there is this so-called report card issued by lawmakers is to explain to their constituents where their taxes go. We hope this list of accomplishments is backed by receipts, documents and all sorts of evidence that would justify its allocation to their pet programs.

At a time when there are enough laws for the executive department to implement in nearly every aspect of our lives, yet it fails to do so owing to lack of political will and conflict of interests, lawmakers should at the very least be circumspect and transparent in their use of the people’s taxes.

And we hope that in the next Sona, the people’s focus is on the President’s message rather than those aspiring fashion models posing as legislators.