Last week, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago once again proposed the abolition of the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), just as debates on the pork barrel escalated following yet another public scandal on the alleged misuse of P10 billion worth of PDAF appropriations spread over a decade.
The heart of the argument finds itself in the discovery of bogus projects supposedly implemented by JLN Corp., which over the course of the Arroyo administration until the present has according to the National Bureau of Investigation been the de facto nexus in the distribution of solon pork to other bogus companies, ultimately revolving the money around the same people through different pockets.
A closer investigation by the NBI reveals that the trading company, whose business is said to be centered on agricultural products, receives notices of cash allocation from non-existent NGOs which are then signed as received and to have benefited certain LGUs and localities as per the letter forged by a fake individual misrepresenting a real LGU head.
Requested fund assistance by the misrepresented LGU heads – often, mayors – would range, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, from P1.5 million to P10 million worth of unaudited funds being split by Janet Lim-Napoles, the CEO and namesake of JLN Corp., and the PDAF recipient – in this case, one of many prominent lawmakers. As testified by one of the syndicate drivers Benhur Luy, the commissions for lawmakers range from 40 to 60 percent, while the rest of the cash is remitted directly to Napoles.
If the accusations are proven and held true, then justice must be served for the entire network that has been defrauding the Filipino people’s resources. The indicted lawmakers and the rest of Congress must exercise a much greater vigilance over the use of resources. Posting accounts and project reports whether in the Senate website or the House of Representatives’ is a key step, but even more important are post project records and due audit of resource use made available for public scrutiny, as well as the internal checks being conducted by the legislative.
Trusting in the legislators’ delegation of tasks to those ‘more familiar with their constituencies’ is a contentious issue that continues to beg for resolution, and Sen. Santiago’s logic for the eventual abolition of the PDAF becomes sensible given the entrenchment of ill-checked governance processes from within the pork circles and syndicates. JLN Corp. is not the only magic nexus for pork, and the future will see more bogus corporations like Napoles’ wherever there is a lack of stringent political checks and transparency from those entrusted with the power to understand the contexts of their constituencies. Else, following Santiago’s logic, the P25 billion spent every year should be directly spent for priority concerns at the national level. Trust at P200 to P70 million a pop is too costly a price to maintain for a country that calls for more inclusivity in its economic growth.
Ironically enough, Napoles’ daughter is a Lasallian. One wonders if the Lasallian formation she had received has worked to help her see truth, and to fight against malversation where it is present. Given her links to the school, this kind of mindset could and should start being impressed upon individuals at the college level, if not earlier. The same organizational flaws are similar, whether resources spring from taxpayers or student tuition. Student organizations should generate resources through formative, and genuinely innovative means that stand for the sincere priorities of their constituents.
