Abolish pork barrel!

By REY O. ARCILLA
MALAYA

‘But first, abolish the presidential pork barrel. It is the only way the senators, congressmen, provincial board members and city councilors will be forced to give up theirs!’

I HAVE been publishing in this space for sometime now Commission on Audit (COA) findings about discrepancies between the payments made by government agencies to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the amounts credited to them by the latter.

GSIS President Robert Vergara, highest paid government servant who received more than P16 million in compensation in 2012.

The matter had not elicited any response from GSIS president and general manager Robert Vergara until I published another COA report stating that he is the highest paid government servant, having received in 2012 the mind-boggling remuneration of P16.36 million.

Vergara’s letter dated 12 July 2013 follows:

“We respectfully refer to your column on 2 July 2013 regarding the status of unposted remittances of agencies with GSIS which formed part of the observations of the Commission on Audit in December 2011.

“In particular, you raised three questions relative to “…remittances, or parts thereof, of government agencies (which) are not recorded by the GSIS on time: “a) Where are these huge sums “parked” in the meantime?; b) Do they earn interest?; and c) To where (whom?) does the interest, if any, go?”

“The payments on premium contributions and loans of government agencies that cannot be posted to individual members’ accounts (because they lack sufficient payment details) are considered “undistributed collections”. However, they become part of the pool of funds that GSIS invests for its members. The income earned by these payments (since these are invested even while they are not posted to the member accounts) accrues to the fund out of which retirement benefits and dividends are paid.

“Once additional information regarding these payments is available, they are subsequently posted to the appropriate members’ accounts. Instances that lead to “undistributed collections” are delays in the reporting of changes in members’ records or accounts including salary, status and office transfer.

“I hope that we have addressed your concern but I would be more than willing to discuss the matter further with you at your convenience. Thank you very much.”

Following is my reply of July 13 to Vergara:

“I do wish to seek more clarification on the items raised by COA, including your reported remuneration. However, as it is my policy not to meet personally with those who have come under my “crosshairs”, so to speak, to avoid misunderstanding, allow me to do it here…

“Kindly let me have precise information on:

“a) COA’s findings that at least P4.13 billion in contributions and loan payments made by 12 government offices to the GSIS had not been credited to the offices as of Dec. 31, 2011. COA also said the amount of unrecorded remittances could go much higher because only 36 agencies have so far responded out of the 186 that were sent confirmation requests by government auditors. Of the 36, 27 confirmed ‘discrepancies’ in their premium and loan payments ledgers when compared with those of the GSIS; and

“b) your annual compensation (P16.36 million in 2012).”

I have yet to receive a reply from Vergara as of yesterday, July 22.

***

I sought further clarification from Vergara on COA’s findings because I just could not fully appreciate his explanation due to the enormity of the amount that has not been credited to the agencies concerned as against what he termed “undistributed collections”.

Imagine, if the contributions and loan payments of only 12 agencies come to P4.13 billion, how much would the total remittances of 186 agencies amount to? It must be a staggering sum! The bulk of it could not possibly be “undistributed collections” only.

***

Here are some of the things that I would have liked to hear President Noynoy Aquino say during his State of the Nation Address, his fourth, yesterday:

Mga minamahal kong kababayan at aking butihing mga boss:

1) Exactly three years ago, I said there will be no more “wang-wang”. Natupad naman po. Kaya lang, may mga taong gobyerno pa rin na sa halip na “wang-wang” ang gamit, motorcycle police escorts na lang … hinahawi at pinatatabi ang mga ibang motorists.

2) During my first SONA in 2010, nabanggit ko sa inyo ang kahindik-hindik na gawain ng mga namamhala nuon sa Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) – ang pagbibigay sa kanilang mga sarili ng milyun-milyong sahod at iba pang pabuya.

Kamakailan po lamang ay napag-alaman ko na may mga kawani na naman tayo sa public agencies katulad ng Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) at Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) na tila nagtatamasa na naman ng hindi makatwirang sahod at mga pabuya sa kanilang sarili.

Hayaan po ninyo at pagsisikapan kong ituwid ang mga ito sa lalong madaling panahon.

Iyun naman pong bagong natuklasan na hindi makatarungang pag-singil sa taumbayan ng mga buwis at iba pang gastusin ng water concessionaires Maynilad at Manila Water, humihingi po ako sa inyo ng paumanhin na hindi ko agad ito napag-ukulan ng pansin. Atin pong itutuwid din ang pagkukulang na ito sa lalong madaling panahon.

Naparami lamang po kasi ang mga kaguluhang lumabas ngayon, katulad ng pork barrel ng ating mambabatas at iyung tungkol dun sa paratang na himihingi ang ilang kawani ng ating pamahalaan ng diumano ay $30 million sa isang kumpanya ng Czech Republic kung ibig nilang makuha ang supply contract ng mga karuwahe ng tren. Isinangkot pa nga po ang butihin kong kapatid na si Ballsy at ang kanyang asawang si Eldon Cruz, at pati na rin and pinakamatalik kong kaibigan na si Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa, na pawang kabulaanan naman.

3) Nabanggit ko rin po sa inyo tatlong taon na ang nakararaan ang kasuklam-suklam na mga gawain sa National Food Authority (NFA) nuong nakaraang administrasyon. Nag-angkat po ng milyun-milyung toneleda ng bigas na hinayaang mabulok sa mga bodega sa halip na pakinabangan ng mga kababayan nating nagugutom. Pasensiya na muna kayo at hindi ko naaasikasong usigin ang mga walang kaluluwang may kagagawan nito hanggang ngayon. Ipinangangako ko sa inyo na bago matapos ang nalalabing tatlong taon natin sa puwesto, baka may mangyari na rito.

4) Iyun naman pong nabanggit ko sa inyong Public-Private Partnerships na makatutulong sa pag-unlad ng ating bansa, pasensiya na muna kayo na wala pang masyadong nangyayari duon. Hindi pala ganun-ganon lang ‘yun. Mahabang proseso pala iyun. Pagsisikapan po nating maisagawa ang mga ito bago dumating ang taong 2016.

These are some of the promises made by Noynoy in his first SONA. Those in the second and third SONAs will be dealt with later.

***

I have no idea what Noynoy will finally decide to say in his fourth SONA about the pork barrel of senators and congressmen. In this regard, I am told that some provincial board members and city councilors allegedly also get pork barrel. If true, they should be included in what, to me, is the only way to stop the evil that pork barrel brings – abolish it!

Malacañang’s reported proposal to limit the projects that can be funded by pork barrel, accreditation of organizations by the DSWD and limiting the number of implementing agencies will not work. The ingenuity of the crooked politicians, unscrupulous contractors and their likes in our midst cannot be underestimated. They will always find a way to dip their filthy hands into the government kitty.

***

Senator Alan Cayetano says either charge or clear those allegedly involved in the pork barrel scam. Charge yes, but clear? No way! They do have a lot of explaining to do.

There is a third way – resign! But that’s like asking for the moon. Resignation is not in the vocabulary of our politicians and government officials.

And Cayetano is right – the Senate cannot conduct an investigation on the P10-billion pork barrel scam. Their own colleagues are involved. Let the NBI, in coordination with the Ombudsman and the COA, do it. Then maybe we will get results. I say “maybe” because the NBI has not exactly been able to deliver on many of the investigative assignments given to it in the past.

***

So, abolish the pork barrel, then charge those allegedly involved.

But first, Noynoy must give up his! There are so many vultures that allegedly surround him. The temptation is there for these alleged scumbugs to take advantage of their friendship with Noynoy. And given the latter’s tendency to automatically exonerate any of his friends allegedly involved in scandals, it would surely be in his own interest and those of his bosses, the people, to abolish the presidential pork. It is the only way the senators, congressmen, provincial board members and city councilors will be forced to give up theirs!

***

Noynoy said he wants the NBI to “exhaustively, impartially and fairly” investigate the P10-billion pork barrel scam perpetrated allegedly by Janet Lim-Napoles using a number of bogus non-government organizations.

What came immediately to my mind was the directive of Noynoy to the NBI to conduct a “focused, dedicated and exhaustive” probe on what really happened to the long-disappeared Jonas Burgos. Nothing has come out of it till now.

If we dig deep enough, I am sure we will find so many other investigations that the NBI was asked to do but have not been concluded so far. Stretched too thinly? Perhaps, but I hardly think so. Still, it does look like only the NBI can be tasked to probe the pork barrel scam.

***

Agence France-Presse reported that US Vice President Joe Biden will go on a week-long visit to India and Singapore where, Washington officials say, he will tackle tensions over the disputed West Philippine Sea/South China Sea “head on”.

Huh? India and Singapore? Neither one is even involved in the dispute!

***

Reminders (for Noynoy’s action):

1) Filing of charges against officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) during Arroyo’s illegitimate regime. Noynoy himself said on several occasions that there is documentary evidence to prove the venalities in the past in that agency.

2) Investigation of reported anomalies in the GSIS during the watch of Winston Garcia and ordering his successor, Robert Vergara, to file the proper charges, if warranted, against the former.

3) Facilitating the investigation of rampant corruption in the military and police establishments.

4) Expeditious action by the AFP on the case of Jonas Burgos.

***

Today is the 86th day of the seventh year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.

Whatever happened to Noynoy’s directive to the NBI to conduct a “focused, dedicated and exhaustive” probe of what really happened to Jonas?! Your bosses want to know, Mr. President.

***

From an internet friend:

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ELECTRONICS: You’re grounded. Hindi ka aalis ng bahay.

SELF ESTEEM: Ayan, dyan ka magaling!

LOGIC: Pag hindi mo nakita, makikita mo!

THEORY OF EVOLUTION: Manang-mana ka sa tatay mong Poging Unggoy.

SPORTS: Tumakbo ka na. Pag inabutan kita, malilintikan ka!

***

Email: roacrosshairs@outlook.com