Kawatan sa gobierno: From millions to billions

By Alex P. Vidal 

“Let’s hope that if ever courageous media networks or newspapers will expose the involvement of lawmakers, or any public official for that matter, in this gargantuan scandal and anomaly of epic proportions, no solon, mayor, governor, or even senator will storm their radio stations and editorial offices like what we experienced in 1996.” – Alex P. Vidal

WHEN the late Iloilo City lone district Rep. Raul M. Gonzalez Sr. didn’t like our expose about the alleged anomalous asphalt overlay projects amounting to several millions of pesos, he stormed our editorial office in Sun.Star Iloilo in 1996.

We held our ground and refused to be silenced and intimidated.

We never said the congressman and his corrupt minions in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) pocketed the people’s money in those wasted projects, but we never allowed merchants of graft and corruption to muzzle the press.

And the rest is history.

In those years, lawmakers accused of enriching themselves while in power feasted only on the much-hated “pork barrel funds” worth millions of pesos in taxpayers money.

It is the misuse and abuse of discretionary funds allocated to lawmakers, primarily through the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), known as “pork barrel.”

The issue involved allegations of corruption, where funds intended for public projects were diverted to ghost projects, bogus non-government organizations (NGOs), and personal gain. Who can forget Janet Napoles?

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Millions of people’s money through pork barrel were allegedly stolen by crooks that included now presidential legal chief Juan Ponce Enrile, Senator Jinggoy Estrada and recently defeated senatorial candidate Ramon Revilla Jr., who were sent to jail during the Noynoy Aquino administration.

The scam, involving the misuse of the PDAF, ultimately led to its abolition and the prosecution of individuals involved. In 2013, the Supreme Court declared the PDAF unconstitutional, citing it as a violation of the separation of powers and legislative intrusion into the implementation of the budget.

This led to the cessation of PDAF allocations in the budget and the filing of cases against those involved, including high-ranking senators, government officials, and NGO staff.

Janet Lim-Napoles, known as the “Pork Barrel Queen” for her alleged role in the scam, was convicted of money laundering and sentenced to imprisonment.

Officials found liable by the Commission on Audit (CoA) were also issued “disallowances,” essentially demands to return the misappropriated funds. Most of them, however, did not return the money they stole from the taxpayers.

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Under the new dispensation, the scam being committed by public officials, especially members of the House of RepresentaTHIEVES didn’t involve anymore millions of pesos.

It’s now billions of taxpayers money. And it is not anymore “pork barrel.” The crooks rob us from millions to billions.

It’s now known as the “flash flood projects anomaly” which refers to a recently unveiled issue concerning irregularities and potential corruption in the country’s flood control projects.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. recently exposed that an initial review found that P100 billion—or 18 percent of the P545 billion budget for flood mitigation projects from July 2022 to May 2025 – was awarded to only 15 of the 2,409 accredited contractors.

A breakdown of the anomaly is the following:

— Disproportionate awarding of contracts: A significant portion of the flood control budget was concentrated among a very small number of contractors, leading to questions about fair competition and potential favoritism.

— “Disturbing” findings and potential corruption: President Marcos described this initial finding as “disturbing” and ordered an ongoing audit to investigate further. This suggests a suspicion of anomalies and potential corrupt practices in how these projects were awarded and conducted.

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Here’s more:

—Lack of transparency and accountability: Concerns have been raised about the transparency and accountability in the execution of these projects, with over 6,000 projects lacking clear details.

— Political connections: Some contractors identified in connection with these projects have been linked to political figures, further fueling concerns about potential conflicts of interest and cronyism in government contracts.

This anomaly has reportedly raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of the Philippines’, especially given the country’s vulnerability to flash floods and other weather-related disasters.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are calling for citizens to report any irregularities in flood control projects in their areas.

Let’s hope that if ever courageous media networks or newspapers will expose the involvement of lawmakers, or any public official for that matter, in this gargantuan scandal and anomaly of epic proportions, no solon, mayor, governor, or even senator will storm their radio stations and editorial offices like what we experienced in 1996.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)