We can pretend all day not to know. But the Filipino people have never been stupid not to see through such pretense. Let me give the breakdown. It is nasty. • 2% goes to the Commission on Audit as S.O.P. • 10% is given to the district engineer and other officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways. • 2% is passed on to the Barangay Chairman. • 14% goes to the contractor - 10% in profit and 4% as value-added tax, thank God! • 5-10%, if the Mayor or Governor so demands. • And - hold your breath - 20% of project cost is earmarked for the legislator who identifies the project. Shares sometimes vary depending on greed. Even the billboards that advertise the proponents of infrastructure projects are overpriced. Legislators who allocate funds for the purchase of medicines and other pharmaceutical products, as well as school supplies get bigger takes. By how much, Mr. President? Some suppliers say, it is, "from here to eternity." In a book published in 1998 by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, entitled, "Pork and Other Perks," the author wrote about vivid accounts of actual pay-offs involving legislators. Thus, a pay-off usually takes place inside the office of legislators. The more sophisticated ones prefer hotel rooms and restaurants. Sulo Hotel in Quezon City is said to be a favorite. "Pork barrel" every year runs to billions of pesos. I hate to say it. The people hate to hear it. But they lose billions of pesos anyway. They lose these billions to the many deep pockets of corruption. Mr. President, my esteemed colleagues, there is no saying here that every senator or congressman is corrupt. It is only to say that we have all become suspect. The public has every basis and right to suspect. And we seem not to mind anymore. Mr. President, those with clear conscience among us do not need to rage. They only need to help those without it. In this regard, may I take this opportunity to thank the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and some of our colleagues who have expressed support to this advocacy.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 07:58:27 +0000
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