In 1990 what we now know was the PDAF was established for a worthy goal: to enable your representatives to identify projects for your communities that your LGU cannot afford. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this policy. But what is wrong–indeed, what has outraged our people—was the collusion among a former President ready to trade favors just to remain in power, legislators, and members of the bureaucracy who were willing to conspire, enabled by a passive and indifferent citizenry. All these factors put together make the PDAF prone to abuse. We need to make sure the system can no longer be abused.
There are those who treat the PDAF as their own private fund, to use as they please. This is clearly wrong: What is involved here is the people's money; it should be used for the benefit of the people, and not for the benefit of a few greedy individuals. The shocking revelations of this misuse—the latest being the COA Special Audit Report in the 2007-2009 PDAF which was released this past week–are truly scandalous, and so the time has come to do two things.
First, to exact accountability from those who have abused the system. As I informed you yesterday, I have already tasked the DOJ, together with all the agencies of the executive government under the Inter-Agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council or IAAGCC to work together to accelerate the process, from investigation, to prosecution, to putting people behind bars, and even to asset recovery. My directives to all agencies and members of government are clear: Extend your full aid and cooperation so that the truth may be uncovered, and so that the guilty may be held accountable.
I have utmost confidence in the impartiality and integrity of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Secretary Leila M. De Lima, and Chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan; I know that they will be impartial and just. They represent the great strides we have made in restoring public faith and confidence in the institutions they lead.
That outlines our efforts to achieve our first objective. Our second goal: To find a better way to ensure that the public coffers will be spent with only the public's benefit in mind. Let me be clear: From the very start of our administration, we have pursued the necessary reform to limit discretion, which had previously been the root of the excessive and criminal use of PDAF. We believe that a transparent process can reduce abuses of the system. We ordered that the PDAF provided to every legislator be included and noted in the National Budget; and we prohibited congressional insertions. The existing menu for PDAF projects was limited in scope, unlike in the past when funds could be indiscriminately allotted for project or program. Now, we also ask that the project details be submitted as a condition for approving it, unlike in the past where projects had very general definitions. We uploaded the list of projects funded by the PDAF on the DBM website in real time so that the public could review and scrutinize them. For the bidding stage, all bid notices and awards were required to be posted on the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement Systems or PhilGEPS.
I remember when I was a Senator. A budget, as we all know, is allocated for the period between January 1 and December 31. In 2007, it was approved in April. This means that from January to April, the budget was carried over from the previous year. Does it not make sense that, because the budget was re-enacted, the funds for the months that had passed also be stricken from the budget? My proposal lost, which is why I voted “No” for the budget of 2007. Because of this, the savings for that year reached about 36 billion pesos. You have to wonder where did the 36 billion go?
This is why, from the time we have assumed office, we have ensured that the budget is submitted and approved on time, so as to prevent its reenactment, which could be used as an instrument of corruption. On the day after the SONA, we submit the proposed national budget to Congress; they are able to approve it before the end of the year, thus preventing opportunities for crooked officials to tinker with the budget, and use it for corruption.
Despite the reforms we have implemented, we have seen, as the events of the past weeks have shown, that greater change is necessary to fight against those who are determined to abuse the system. It is time to abolish the PDAF.
Now, we will create a new mechanism to address the needs of your constituents and sectors, in a manner that is transparent, methodical and rational, and not susceptible to abuse or corruption.
Together with Senate President Frank Drilon and Speaker Sonny Belmonte, I will make sure that every citizen and sector will get a fair and equitable share of the national budget for health services, scholarships, livelihood generating projects, and local infrastructure. Your legislators can identify and suggest projects for your districts, but these will have to go through the budgetary process. If approved, these projects will be earmarked as line items, under the programs of your National Government. In this way, they will be enacted into law as part of our National Budget—every line, every peso, and every project open to scrutiny, as with all other programs of your government.
Furthermore, every project, as well as their corresponding budgetary releases, will have the following safeguards against corruption:
1. We will continue the practice of requiring that projects to be funded come from a specific menu of qualified projects.
2. They cannot include consumable soft projects, such as fertilizers, seeds, medicines, medical kits, dentures, funding for sports fests, training materials, and other such items—these projects whose results and impact we cannot conclusively identify, and who may only be ghost projects, used only as a source of income by the corrupt.
3. They cannot be temporary infrastructure, and neither can they be dredging, desilting, regravelling, or asphalt overlay projects.
4. The funds cannot be disbursed to NGOs and certain GOCCs such as ZREC and NABCOR. Both of these GOCCs will be abolished, along with others of their kind that have become notorious for anomalies, and which seem to serve no other purpose aside from being instruments of corruption.
5. The funds must be limited to the district or sector of the legislator who sponsored it.
6. All items will be subject to open and competitive bidding, with all bid notices and awards posted in the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System or PhilGEPS.
7. So that the public may monitor the implementation themselves, we will make sure that each item will be disclosed in the DBM and related agency websites and the National Data Portal of the government.
I have tasked Secretary Abad of the Department of Budget and Management to consult with Speaker Belmonte and Senate President Drilon to craft this mechanism, and to submit it for my approval as soon as possible. We are all committed to putting this in place so that, moving forward, allocations per district will be included in the National Budget, starting with the proposed budget of 2014.
For this system to work, your cooperation is required. The information will be there for you to monitor: let us understand and examine it. I am calling on each and every Filipino to do his part, even as we do ours. Together, let us work to strengthen accountability and transparency in government, in order to ensure that public funds are utilized in a just manner—one that truly benefits the Filipino people.
Thank you and good day.
August 24, 2013 Inquirer:
ReplyDelete1.0 Mr. Enrile reported that the one requested the PDAF fund is the POWERFUL COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENT and not the NGO .
Comment: Please identify who are those people(names) which is the POWERFUL COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS . NBI should questioned and interrogate all of them.
2.0 Mr. Enrile reported that the DBM or the DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT and COA are responsible in Controlling and Management of the soft and Hard Projects.
Comment: Please explain the procedure on how they (DBM & COA) manage the ongoing soft and hard projects. Who are the people involved, their names responsible in controlling and managing the projects. NBI should questioned and interrogate all of them.
3.0 Mr. Enrile reported that Mr. Rolando Andaya insist or delaying joint audit with COA representative.
Comment: Mr. Rolando Andaya should received formal letter from Senators with copy of the President stating that upon his failure to coordinate with COA immediately then Charges will be filed against him. Since there is already an issue for this fund, the Government should create team of independent Accountant/people to join the Audit. Threee(3) groups will audit/check. One from DBM,one from COA, and one is Independent.
Recommendation:
1.0 All possible person involved in this anomalies must be hold leaving the Country. Dept. of Justice should recommend to hold all their passports and warned all airports regarding their possible exit to our country.
2.0 All audit should be audio and video recorded in order to avoid fishy audit.
3.0 All head of DBM and COA responsible in monitoring, controlling, and approving the project must have background wealth check in and out of the country.
Action:
1.0 Once sufficient evidence known, Dept. of Justice and etc. should issue immediately Warrant of Arrest in order to capture and interrogate properly the person involved. They must be put to jail without bailband.All interrogation should be audio and video recorded.
2.0 Publish in TV and ADS newspaper status of the investigation, Audit report and progress, People should know this things as we Are the BOSS.
3.0 Anybody may add more from this point what are the things we have to do so that we can put all involved in jail and confiscate their wealth that they steal from Peoples fund. We must join and help together and advise hard and soft copies the President, our Dept. of Justice, NBI, etc. so that they will act immediately without delay. Sumama tayo sa laban para sa ating mga bayaning nagbuwis ng buhay para sa ating kalayaan at magkaroon ng isang progresibong bansa.
Reflection from: Ordinary salary Citizen
There are five(5) senators and twenty three(23) congressman that were seen by ninth(9th) Whistle blower receiving money from janet napoles. Those politicians are stealing money from PDAF fund for over ten years. The President, Department of Justice, NBI, etc. should seriously focus their attention to this pork barrel scam.Since when they put those corrupt politician and officials in jail without bailbond, retrieve the money they have steal from people , this is a very big accomplishment for Filipino and a good sign that our Land is moving forward into Good Government . I should say that the following are reference action to those corrupt officials.
ReplyDelete1.0 The testimony of ninth whistleblower must be put in writing, audio and video recorded all interviews, and signed and witness by Approved party such as NBI, Dept. of justice, etc. .
2.0 After the interview, the NBI and other Government agency should look up and gather all evidence for those people involved in scam.
3.0 The Department of Justice or any Attorney,etc., should verify if the evidence is sufficient for this serious crimes. Upon verification that evidence is sufficient, they should release an order to DFA to hold the passport and prevent them to escape in this Land.They should file a warrant of arrest in order to put those people involved in custody which follow full interrogation in order to support and verify participation, etc..
4.0 People involved on this serious crime must be full surveillance by NBI supported by DOJ and Office of the President.This is to anticipate escape of them from our Law and escape in this land.
5.0 COA and DBM Officials and Operator involved must be known and must faced criminal charges.
6.0 If sufficient evidence to those corrupt officials,politicians,operator, then the hearing must be limited. They must be sentenced immediately ,put behind bar without bail. All wealth of them including their families should be investigated and if found suspicious, the Government should sequester their wealth immediately.
7.0 All funds,money that will be sequester,collected,gathered to all corrupt people should be added to our next year budget.
8.0 For the meantime, tax will be limited to all people, not too much budget for project, except school,bahay ampunan, mga pabahay sa mahihirap,calamity fund, pag aayos ng nasirang tulay or anything which is prime and important things to do and to accomplished immediately for the
People.Say tax for the meantime will be 5 percent only , sufficient for the government employed people and some important things to do in that year.
9.0 This next year budget to be figure out and to be publish, review by people, and comment by people, and approved by people thru rally attendance signed with fingerprint and photoshot for Luzon,Visayas and Mindanao.this event to be publish.
10.0 There will be no more big or medium projects to be implemented from this point of time. The government should complete the dismantling of all corrupt polititians, officials,operators,responsible for projects, bring those people to jail, sentence them all, sequester their steal fund from the people .see part 2
ReplyDeleteSee part 1
11.0 Senators and congressman to be abolished. Provincial and town projects to be handled by Governor ,Mayors,Captains,and Councillor.
12.0 The proposed projects must be reviewed by two bodies, government and independent private body.
13.0 The ongoing projects to be monitored by COA, Private individual, DBM,Public Individual. All ongoing projects to be publish in Newspaper and or website to be created by the government.
14.0 COA procedure in monitoring the projects should be reviewed by People,commented by People, and approved by People and the last is Dept. of justice,President,etc. Approved procedure to be published.
15.0 DBM procedure in monitoring the projects should be reviewed by People,commented by People, and approved by People and the last is Dept. of justice,President,etc. Approved procedure to be published.
16.0 DBM procedure in awarding and issuing the budget for the project to Private Group should be reviewed by People,commented by People, and approved by People and the last is Dept. of justice,President,etc. Approved procedure to be published.
17.0 People who are responsible last time for the operation of DBM, and COA to be reviewed by Private party say their wealth, social life, etc. and submit this to NBI and Dept. of Justice. People responsible for pork barrel corruption to be put in jail and money stolen to be retrieved by government.
18.0 Once that all request and requirement by people has been done then that’s the time that we start again creating proposal for project and create budget for project.
19.0 That’s all for now. You can add more for this reference/guidelines items.
20.0 Remember that put God first and God will guide you.Also, Don’t give up…….