Drunken master’s take on the pork barrel

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

Kardo, our neighborhood drunken philosopher has once again imposed on us his take on the monster called the pork barrel -- the PDAF (priority assistance development fund)  -- formerly called the Countryside Development Fund among many other names.

Every administration, he says, apparently has had its share of the monster. Despite clamour for its death, it simply refuses to fade or go away.

            

He says, after all discussion on its existence, he has simplified the matter and come up with a conclusion – the monster should stay despite its unsavoury nature and even if P-Noy has announced its abolition. 

            

It is not that he is a masochist, anarchist or one who wants this Banana Republic to crumble by having another Edsa, he says. It is just that, according to what he calls his intelligent mind,entrusting most development funds in the hands of the executive department – like bosses of line agencies would be dangerous.

            

The fear that pretty soon, nobody would be running for Congress because their favourite monster would be killed or brought to other places for other officials to make use of, he says, is hogwash.

            

The approximately P100,000 monthly salary of members of the Lower House, he adds, should be motivation enough to run, considering other perks and bonuses that could run up to P500,000 a month.

            

He says congressmen or senators who engage in anomalous acts could be directly stripped by the people of their power through elections every after three or six years. Those in the executive department, he adds, even if they are guilty as hell, could still hold on to their seats by the skin of their teeth as in this Banana Republic, there is still such a thing as due process.

By the time all judicial processes are exhausted, the different forms of monsters, he adds, could be retired, dead or abroad. Justice depends on how much money one has. Just observe what will happen to Janet Naoples. he winks.

            

“So don’t give us the crap of daang matuwid,” he says. “Every big-time or petty bureaucrat knows that in government, there is money to be had – if one has the connections.”

            

Kardo says one doesn’t need to have a college degree or a lofty education or position to understand what is happening in government, So he says, he’d rather stay tipsy and leave the thinking to the academics or so-called cause-oriented groups or concerned individuals.

He takes a swig of his Round Post, then says he has to look for his favourite jueteng kubrador to place a bet.                 

So now, we leave Kardo to drink in peace and talk about the contention of the Global Filipino Nation and other groups who sniped at the President when he announced the monster’s -- err pork barrel’s “abolition.” According to the groups, P-Noy merely wanted to restructure the system – not to abolish it.

The groups said P-Noy’s proposal effectively reduces the leverage of politicians, while concentrating pork barrel power -- in effect, political power -- in his hands.

P-Noy’s proposal, the GFN said, makes no reference to pork barrel funds under the Office of the President and the performance of different initiatives in the allotted funding.

The President’s proposal, they said reiterates accountability that involves government investigative and prosecutorial functions, which is presumed and required of all pork barrel projects -- including all in his watch.

The President’s proposal also reportedly requires details for future pork barrel projects, implying that the Department of Budget and Management had no such requirement in its budgeting process.

It also mandates a new mechanism to ensure transparency, methodology, rationality and corruption-insulation -- an admission that these elements were missing under his stewardship, according to GFN.

P-Noy’s proposed appointment of the Senate President and House Speaker to thresh out specifics of the new mechanism -- a formula, they said, was fraught with conflicts of interest and  absence of checks and balance.

The President also wanted prohibition of  "soft" project items -- ignoring potentially high social returns from quick-gestation initiatives and relying on benefits of long-gestation undertakings.

P’Noy, they said, would like to eliminate non-government organizations from the delivery system -- which, if vetted properly, are effective vehicles for faithful implementation of projects and limits the pork barrel allocation to the area of the sponsoring politician -- a continuation of the quasi-feudal and corrupting influence of the dispensing powers.

The GFN demanded that P-Noy'spork barrel be reckoned with in assessment of all items and should make a full disclosure of details, implementation aspects and impact.

Among others, the group demanded that P-Noy's management system should tightly and regularly monitor the accountability mandates of all governmental units and require DBM to adopt rigorous methods and criteria for vetting such projects.

The new pork barrel system, the group said, should be  inclusive to allow all parties, irrespective of political affiliation, to make proposals.

It should also be participatory and apply constituents' inputs in project proposal, appraisal, implementation and performance assessment. It should be competitive -- with project terms of reference scrutinized by the public and the award process visible in real time to media and the public, they said.

The groups also proposed appointment of a sectoral commission, composed of disinterested professionals from the private and public sectors to thresh out details of the new pork barrel system.

"Soft" projects, they said,should continue and legitimate and NGOs with proven track records or integrity should be utilized as implementation agencies or collaborators for pork barrel projects.

Beneficiaries, the group said, should not be limited to the area of the sponsoring politician, but rather for optimum project benefits.

Lastly, they said P-Noy's role should be limited to positive intentions, while leaving details of the new pork barrel system in the hands of an independent commission that includes the citizenry -- in the interest of promoting the greatest good of the greatest number. That is the essence of good governance. Kardo would have agreed.