Are members of the 16th Congress still illegal recipients of
the 10, 20 or more percent cut (S.O.P in the vernacular) from every project
they interceded for Malacanang to implement?
In the March 6 page 2 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer “Pork”
still working for lawmakers” Leila B. Salaverria wrote: “The PDAF (Priority Development Assistance
Fund) 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 & Development of
Social Welfare & Development (P4.71 billion); Department of Labor &
Employment (P3.69 billion); and Department of Public Works and Highways (P9.654
billion)”.
Does it mean if a subservient congressional ally of
Malacanang can chalk up P10 million from one of this government entities
through the imprimatur of the power-that-be, it is still monkey business as
usual between the solon and his favorite private contractor?
As you know, one of the motivations for politicians in
running for congressional office is the S.O.P they can get from the private
contractor or supplier that implements a government project they scored. Before
the evil Janet Napoles brought them to hell, the greediest of them I know in
Region 1 pocketed up to 60% of a project allocated in a dredging operation of a
river. This anomaly ensued through a conspiracy with the private contractor,
members of the DPWH and Commission on Audit, and the lawmaker. Only 40% or P4
million goes to the haphazardly made operation while the P6 million of the P10
million projects have been divided by these vultures where the lion share goes
to the heartless solon.
With Malacanang needing the votes of members of Congress for
important bills, it can marshal these vulnerable solons by ordering the heads
of these departments and agencies to implement some of the billions of pesos of
projects at their disposal to the district or constituency of the ally
congressman or senator.
A hundred of millions of pesos’ project for the district of
a congressman could make a difference between a pork-less solon and a
gluttonous solon that gets P20 million kickback a year from the conniving
private contractor.
Has pork barrel indeed returned with a different name,
different system of distribution, and with a vengeance?
“Sa akin iyong P200
million pork (2014) ko pina re-allign ko sa calamity fund,” Senator Alan
Peter Cayetano told me in Pilipino when I told him about my above observation
when he dropped by at the Dagupan City museum in March 10.
“In case a congressman
who has clout with Malacanang chalked up say P10 million projects from DPWH,
can the solon ask his favorite private contractors to bid and give him his
10-20 percent cut? Has the pork returned?” I posed my query to Cayetano.
“Maybe it has returned,” he retorted.
***
If a senator and congressman pocket government funds through
the pork, here’s how the mayor mumbo jumbo government monies that go to their
pocket.
A city mayor in a local government unit (LGU) with a P700
million appropriation for calendar year 2014 can stash away 10 % (or 20% if he
is rapacious) of the 30 % infrastructure or development funds from the P700
million budget.
30% of the P700 million is P210 million. 10% of his S.O.P
from the 30% (P210 million) in infrastructure projects is P21 million. In a
three -year term the lucky enterprising son of a gun corrupt mayor gets P63
million!
Opps, mukhang malaki ang kurakot ng mayor sa congressman dito sa
illustration ko. And I'm not talking how much a governor earns a year
or in three years.
The stealing binge would be more exciting if the LGU would
be as big as Quezon City that has a yearly budget of up to P14 billion.
And it does not stop there. He can still get a kickback or
percentage from the private garbage collector and 5% monthly from the illegal
number game jueteng’s or Jai-Alai of Meridian Corporation whose legality is
pending for years now through an injunction at the Court of Appeals (mukhang
pati sila Justices ng C.A may S.O.P na din?).
When Oscar Rodriguez, the former mayor of San Fernando City,
Pampanga, visited two years ago the Stadia in Dagupan City, he told the
attendees of a convention in good governance that probably he was one if not
few of the mayors in the Philippines who did not accept goodwill money from
officials of the Top 500 Corporation in the country that wants to build shop in
a city or town.
He said the practice was Mall A or Corporation B greases
first the hand of the Hizzoner (acronym of
His Honor the Mayor) with millions of pesos before getting the permit to do
business in his turf.
Sabagay iyong mga
ordinaryo at uhugin na municipal or city councilor dito sa Pangasinan kumikita
ng kalahating milyon bawat isa sa mga business entity na pumapasok o sa loan na
pampagawa ng palengke o terminal, iyong mayor pa kaya na pumipirma with
finality sa documents ng investors.
I remember a city councilor two years ago confiding to me
that in case a giant retail mall enters the city each of his colleagues in the
August chamber would be a beneficiary of a P3 million goodwill money from the
mall owner just for them to convert through a resolution the site of the mall
from agricultural to commercial.
(I learned later that the each of the many dads allegedly
received P2 million to finalized the entry of the mall)
Anak ng baka, who says that being a public official is a
thankless job?!
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