PORK BARREL POLKA AND DYNASTIES

Seen and heard all around the island known as the center of the Philippines:

Politicians seeking votes, some candidates occupied with threats they lavishly dish out against their rivals, bribery engagements quite a few resort to, offers to buy votes, black ops against political opponents utilizing every trick in the dirty old book, to the extent that certain candidates had to kneel down before his/her audience to beg for votes, please po, paki po, for the desired dramatic effect...

But what’s it all about? Oh, the strains and melodies of the pork barrel polka is something we have to hear about to understand why some politicians, particularly those associated with political dynasties would do everything in their means and reach to clutch on to kapangyarihan, power.

It’s the Pork!

“The annual allocation of pork barrel funds total about P7 billion with each senator getting P200 million and each congressman getting P70 million...

“While the legislators’ pet projects are well-meaning and beneficial to their constituents, the lack of transparency and auditability gives rise to opportunity for graft and corruption.

“There are reports that some legislators demand kickbacks or commissions — as high as 50% — from contractors and suppliers. Corruption is more prevalent in public work construction projects where bidders could collude to fix their bids; thus, allowing kickbacks — or “tongpats” — to be embedded in their lump sum bids.” (Power of the ‘Pork’, By Perry Diaz • Feb 15th, 2010)

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) released a 2-part article on pork which shows how these funds contribute to the graft and corruption in government. Authored by Yvonne Chua and Booma Cruz, the report says that “pork is primarily a vote-getting vehicle and a source of political patronage” and notably as an opportunity to rake in bribes and commissions from contractors of pork-funded projects.

In some parts of the country, pork is spent by congressmen “in practically useless waiting sheds with huge placards stating the name of the congressman who funded the construction of the waiting shed.”

Different story

But what goes behind the sign and structure is a different story according to PCIJ. While it might be true that congressmen set aside chucks of their pork money for health care, “these sums are sometimes not used at all despite the long queues of indigent patients at public hospitals and the stark lack of medicines and equipment in most of these facilities. The beneficiaries of legislators largesse may be needy, but they are also politically well-connected. Those who have no access to their congressmen do not qualify for help, says the report.”

Scholarships

“This is also true for scholarships.. scholarships are given to students whose parents support the politician. Those supporting the opposition have no access at all to the educational subsidy."

Down the drain

“No one knows exactly how much is lost to corruption in pork-funded projects, says PCIJ. A long-time politician from the North who admits to accepting small commission says that in a year, corruption in pork-barrel projects translates to about P 12 billion in losses in government.

“Another congressman revealed that P 21 billion or a fifth of the government’s P 104 billion procurement budget in 2001 went to the pockets of legislators, officials and contractors alone.” (Worldmission.ph)

To continue:

“Most local government units, on the other hand, are entirely dependent on the IRA to finance their operations and services. An audit ensures whether these funds go to the salaries of government employees and maintenance expenses."

(The 1981-1989 TV Series "Dynasty!" Tagline: "Greed. Seduction. Betrayal. Revenge. Dynasty has it all and more!")

Dynasty! Political Dynasty!

”But Prof. Leonor Briones of the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance noted that powerful clans can still call the shots when it comes to expenditures such as those on health and education.

“The hanky-panky depends on how powerful they are… Total control by a dynasty is more possible in very remote areas like the Dinagat Islands or Masbate or Maguindanao," says Briones, former national treasurer.

"When all, or most, of the top posts in a province is held by a single family, check-and-balance in governance may be close to nil.

“Briones notes that political families who control the city or municipal council, or the provincial board can easily pass laws in their favor, be it the construction of a road leading to the clan’s hacienda or funds to a school in honor of a clan member or a foundation managed by the family.

”In contrast, areas where there is an active civil society or a very strong opposition, the LGU would be forced to shape up.

“So it depends on the level of transparency of the LGU. If you have an opposition council, makikita ang anomalya. The more strong the civil society, the stronger the institution," Briones said. (“Political clans control billions of pesos in pork barrel, govt funds”, Karen Tiongson-Mayrina, GMA News Research)

In a press conference Congressman Herminio Teves said: "I have to be very candid with you, that most of the P70 million a year of pork barrel or priority development assistance fund (PDAF) is not properly used."

Some more

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), in its 1998 book Pork and Other Perks, reported that pork-funded projects “do not undergo the usual process of evaluation to determine their feasibility.”

Because they are not subject to evaluation, such projects are prone to overpricing. The PCIJ book cites a 1996 report by the Commission on Audit (CoA) revealing that “In some cases, the extent of overpricing reached more than 200 percent of the market prices and government-set costs.”

The book quotes directly from the CoA report thus: “It is alleged that the proponent legislator connived with the government officials concerned, and the supplier and contractor to obtain the commissions, ‘standard operating procedures,’ or kickbacks from the transaction.”

So what happens when a political clan in an island-province has full dynastic control of pork barrel and government funds for 35 years?

All together now.

"Seen and heard all around the island known as the center of the Philippines: Politicians seeking votes, some candidates occupied with threats they lavishly dish out against their rivals, bribery engagements quite a few resort to, offers to buy votes, black ops against political opponents utilizing every trick in the dirty old book, to the extent that certain candidates had to kneel down before his/her audience to beg for votes, please po, paki po, for the desired dramatic effect..."

















BILLIONS DEAR, NOT JUST MILLIONS.

The Pork Barrel Polka!
And dynasties.