New House pork scheme slammed National labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned today the new pork barrel scheme which the House of Representatives plans to implement, saying the scheme shows that Pres. Noynoy Aquino was merely trying to fool the public when he announced the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund last Aug. 23. Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, House committee on appropriations vice-chair, announced that the new scheme will reduce the amount alloted to legislators’ “hard projects” from P40 million to P24.6 million each and will transfer P20.6 billion previously alloted to the PDAF to government agencies, but legislators can make “recommendations” as to how the said funds will be spent. “Pork barrel, however deviously hidden, is still pork barrel. Clearly, Aquino was only trying to fool the public when he announced that he would abolish the PDAF. He wants to keep legislators addicted to pork despite the growing public outrage and scrutiny,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson. Evardone said that the PDAF would be divided to the following agencies: Department of Public Works and Highways (35 per cent), Department of Social Welfare and Development (20 per cent), Department of Health (15 per cent), Department of Labor and Employment (15 per cent), Commission on Higher Education (10 per cent), and Department of Education (5 per cent). “It is not surprising that the biggest share of funds in the new pork barrel scheme will pass through agencies that have the reputation of being corrupt and are headed by close allies of the president. We have every reason to doubt that the people’s money will continue to end up in the bathtubs of corrupt politicians and their accomplices in this new pork barrel scheme,” Labog said. The labor leader also questioned the allocation of 15 per cent of the PDAF to the DOLE, saying the department does not provide services to workers and merely implements the anti-worker policies of the Aquino government such as pressing down wages, promoting contractual employment, and repressing workers’ rights. KMU said what workers want is for the pork barrel system to be abolished in its entirety and for funds to be allocated to basic social services after, not for funds to be allocated to basic social services through the pork barrel system. The labor center said that workers want the funds allocated to particular government hospitals, state colleges and universities, and affordable housing projects to be increased through the abolition of the pork barrel system. “Filipinos will not be fooled by desperate attempts to make the pork barrel system look better. We have every right to continue and intensify our protests against the giant presidential pork barrel and the entire pork barrel system,” Labog said. The labor leader called on the public to join the September 21 protest against the pork barrel system, saying Martial Law – the anniversary of which falls on that day – was characterized by widespread corruption in the government and fascist repression of workers and Filipinos. Reference: Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson, 0908-1636597
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:54:44 +0000
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