Largest Pork Barrel in RP history

From Ernesto Maceda:

GMA has established another record — the largest presidential “pork barrel” in history. Grand total — more than P80 billion, yes P80 billion, not P8 billion. Here's the breakdown: P46.8 billion healing of Edsa I, II and III funds; () P5 billion Kilos Asenso Fund, P3 billion Kalayaan Barangay Program Fund; P3 billion Calamity Fund; P2 billion Contingent Fund; P650 million Malacañang Intelligence Fund; P1.2 billion Pagcor Social Fund; P500 million Pagcor Intelligence Fund; P3 billion PCSO Charity and Lotto funds; P15 billion DPWH projects fund; P5 billion road users' tax fund and P500 million Meco fund.

All of the above are lump sum funds disbursed upon approval or directive by GMA, with complete discretion as to the amount to be paid and as to the beneficiaries or recipients.

The new Kilos Asenso, Kalayaan Barangay Program and Healing of Edsa wounds funds do not have any working guidelines as of the time the budget was submitted.

Budget Secretary Romulo Neri was fumbling in a radio interview when asked for details. All he could say was that the Kilos Asenso Fund was for “productivity enhancement projects” submitted by local government projects and that the Kalayaan Barangay Fund was for “productivity convergence funds” for rebel-infested or -influenced barangays. If so, the Kilos Asenso Fund should have been specified in the Department of Interior and Local Government budget while Kalayaan Barangay Program Fund should have been integrated in the Department of National Defense (DND) budget. The words “productivity enhancement” can mean anything, including travel and training.

The fact that they were placed under the Office of the President's budget gives good basis to Rep. Francis Escudero's allegation that the money is going to be used as payback for those who supported GMA in the impeachment proceeding as well as Rep. Rolex Suplico's belief that it is also in preparation to fight the next impeachment complaint to be filed in June 2006.

Secretary Neri gave a shotgun explanation for the P46.8- billion healing of Edsa wounds fund including P29 billion for back pension payments for retired Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police personnel. If so, they should be included proportionately in the DND and PNP budgets. Neri went as far as mentioning additional meal allowances for prisoners as one of the purposes. That should be in the Department of Justice budget.

The fact that they are all lump sum allocations means full control and discretion by GMA. This is a step backward from the policy of transparency and itemizing all expenditures.

The two Kilos Asenso and Kalayaan Barangay funds are a reversal of the principle of local autonomy and decentralization spelled out in the Local Government Code. At a time when the 40 percent internal revenue allotment of LGUs is not released on time, adding P8 billion under the Office of the President for LGUs is hard to justify except that it is a political survival fund for GMA.

At a time of big-budget deficits and financial crisis resulting in successive downgrades of our credit rating, the P80-billion pork barrel of GMA is irregular, immoral if not criminal!

----------------------------------------

Unusual. Malacañang made two very unusual statements yesterday. First, it asked the Senate to suspend investigations for one week. Why? Is it because of the scheduled Northrail contract hearing this week? Or is it the Garci tapes hearing of Sen. Biazon which produced the testimony of Marine Gen. Francisco Gudani that confirmed part of the tapes? Gudani also testified that PMA cadets “believe the President is guilty.” Certainly, the request is a violation of the principle of separation of powers raised by Malacañang itself in the detention of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales. Scheduling of hearings is a purely internal matter of the Senate.

Second, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita says GMA has her “personal reasons” for removing Juan Miguel Luz as undersecretary of Education for Finance and she does not have to reveal what it is.

Whatever the President does is of public interest, especially so when you remove a ranking civil servant who has security of tenure. These two pronouncements again are good indications that Malacañang is in a continuing state of panic and confusion. They are not thinking straight and committing one mistake after another.

Meanwhile, the PDSP of Norberto Gonzales is holding protest rallies in front of the Philippine Heart Center and the Senate. Do these PDSP members have a permit? Will the police disperse them? Of course not. Pro-GMA rallies are exempt from the ban. Ha ha ha!

------------------------------------------

Medical bulletin. Secretary Bert Gonzales is undecided on whether to undergo coronary bypass surgery. That implies his condition is not serious enough to require immediate surgery. It was claimed earlier that he had two blocked arteries and may be subject to a simple angioplasty procedure.

In either case, these are now routine surgeries just like an appendectomy. And no later than 30 days later, you can go back to work. DFA Secretary Bert Romulo had bypass surgery for two blocked arteries and was back at his stressful desk as Executive Secretary in less than a month.

If only to prove he is not malingering and the Heart Center doctors are telling the true state of his health, he should undergo surgery as soon as possible.

As a former coronary bypass patient (quadruple bypass), I can assure Secretary Gonzales there's nothing to fear, or is the fear of facing the Senate again the real truth?