THEY KNOW WHEREOF THEY SPEAK.
Former senior government officials (FSGOs), concerned citizens who used to serve in the Cabinets of various administrations, have put their weight behind moves for the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and “the pork barrel system.”
In a paid half-page advertisement published in Philippine broadsheets on Monday, 30 former government executives said their experience in government has shown them that the PDAF “and similar pork barrel mechanisms” have “corrupted” the political system, encouraged corruption itself, and promoted patronage politics.
Moreover, the group pointed out that previous efforts to install “new improved control systems” for the pork barrel have been largely unsuccessful because politicians have found ways to circumvent these safeguards.
“Our collective experience in government convinces us that PDAF and similar pork barrel mechanisms have corrupted our political system and diminished our democracy,” the group said in its published statement. “Allowing legislators to determine how enacted budget appropriations should be spent undermines the separation of powers, the principle of checks and balances, and the accountability of public officials.”
“New, improved control systems to regulate the use of pork barrel have been tried in the past,” the group added. “These have achieved limited success. One reason is the concentration of political power in a small number of political families, who trade pork barrel allocations among themselves to circumvent controls on the balance between soft and hard project funds.”
Bowing to public pressure following revelations that billions of pesos in pork barrel funds had been diverted to ghost projects, President Benigno S. Aquino III had announced last September his intention to abolish the PDAF. However, the President had qualified, too, that the PDAF will be replaced by a new mechanism that would provide stricter controls over the use of PDAF for the pet projects of lawmakers.
The former Cabinet officials who signed the statement said that the pork barrel system perpetuates the problem of political patronage and political dynasties.
The group added that it was “hypocrisy” that government limits the salaries of government officials, while legislators are given free rein over how to spend their pork.
“As demonstrated in the Napoles scam, the lion’s share of pork barrel does not actually go to the poor, but to predatory politicians and their partners,” the group said. “We continue to indulge in the hypocrisy of limiting the salaries of government officials in the executive branch, while allowing legislators access to pork barrel and unaudited allowances.”
The group pointed out that pork barrel has given dynasties a virtual “stranglehold” on political positions. “We know from experience that there are some members of political families who have served honorably in government. But the system itself favors opportunists who exploit the vicious, self-perpetuating cycle of electoral victory, access to pork barrel, and enhanced re-election opportunities.”
Abolishing the system, it added, “is the first step towards discouraging from politics those whose priority is profit.”
“We need to open the Senate and the Congress to those with the professional credentials, the moral character, and the commitment to rend public service,” the group said.
Among the signatories were former Trade Secretary Vicente Paterno, former Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leticia Ramos-Shahani, former Finance Secretaries Jesus Estanislao and Ramon del Rosario Jr., former Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus, former Education Undersecretary Isagani Cruz, former Civil Service Chairperson Karina David (who is now a board member of the Government Service Insurance System), former Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan, former Environment Secretaries Fulgencio Factoran Jr. and Victor Ramos, former Agrarian Reform Secretary Philip Juico, former Tourism Secretaries Alberto Lim and Narzalina Lim, former Press Secretary Rod Reyes, former Agarian Reform Undersecretary Gerardo Bulatao, and former Environment Undersecretary Antonio La Vina.